In Feature Articles by Jaroslaw AdamowskiMarch 28 Hea Lugu is a house that emphasizes the work of Estonian fiction and nonfiction writers In the huge International Bookshop at Bologna Children’s Book Fair where internationalists often go first at the trade show By Jarosław Adamowksi | @JaroslawAdamows Estonia’s nearly 1.4 million inhabitants’ book market is dominated by titles released in Estonian a Finno-Ugric language that is part of a family that also includes Finnish and Hungarian Russian-speaking inhabitants represent around 27.4 percent of Estonia’s population Kalvik tells Publishing Perspectives that, last year, the Estonian publishing industry reported a stable year despite the slight drop in print runs fearing the consumers are careful due to the stagnant economic background autumn wakes up again and then the Christmas saves the day Estonia’s average book print runs are steadily decreasing So even if the amount of paper copies sold keeps falling the revenues are staying about the same.” Estonian readers demonstrate a strong preference for local writers but foreign bestselling authors translated into Estonian can also count on solid sales Some of these authors include Colleen Hoover one of the major literary events in 2024 was the first publication of an Estonian translation of James Joyce’s Ulysses Last year, Kalvik says, “We could have been a bit braver, I guess, as the market wasn’t too bad, yet. So in 2025, we’re pushing on in our key areas and definitely making more things in audio as it does seem to have a lot more potential than in Estonia,” he says “Hea Lugu is about an average-sized publishing house in Estonia The publishing house has also successfully released titles on gardening “You can’t be too picky or niche when you have about a million reading book-buyers here,” he says Hea Lugu can benefit from being a subsidiary of Ekspress Grupp, the country’s leading media group which publishes three major Estonian newspapers and the nation’s biggest nationwide online news portal Delfi.ee The Estonian book market’s genre mix is similar to that of other European nations “We do love our own children’s books writers and illustrators,” Kalvik says “They are well-known and celebrated figures through generations writer- and illustrator-dynasties stretching from the Russian occupation years So it’s hard to market foreign children’s books here Also the locally written books for gardening “Crime and romance is dominant in e- and audiobooks and mostly from foreign authors with a handful of local Estonian bestselling authors Jaroslaw Adamowski is a freelance writer based in Warsaw such as how many children to have and when often in consultation with other family members A woman and her granddaughter introduce traditional woven textiles in a Mosuo village by Lugu Lake LIJIANG – In a society where women hold the reins On the shores of Lugu Lake in Yunnan province visitors from around the globe have come to explore that question in a wooden house in Luoshui village a member of the Mosuo ethnic people who number more than 50,000 sits in what is traditionally called a “grandmother’s room” sharing stories of his group’s unique culture and how it has evolved in modern society in one of the world’s last matrilineal societies women lead the way — and relationships follow a path unlike anywhere else on the planet or walking marriage,” Geze tells the visitors relationships are based purely on mutual affection They arrive after the woman’s family has gone to sleep and leave before dawn to return to their own family.” extended families are centered around grandmothers forming tight-knit households where belongings are shared equally among all Both men and women take responsibility for raising all the children in the family creating a collective approach to child care Children inherit their mother’s surname “Our language doesn’t even have a word for aunt,” Geze tells his audience “Your mother’s sisters are all your mothers It doesn’t matter who gave birth to you.” male-female relationships are free from possessiveness It is a utopia sought by Westerners sometimes compared to the mythical “Shangri-La” a tour guide from the French cultural travel agency Intermedes in Paris has chosen Lijiang as one of her top destinations for exploring China’s ethnic groups she led a French team to delve into the rich cultural tapestry of Southwest China “Yunnan is a melting pot of ethnic cultures and a popular destination for Western travelers We came here in search of the legendary Shangri-La and to explore the mysterious ethnic cultures,” Marchais said The concept of “Shangri-La” was popularized by British novelist James Hilton in his 1933 novel Lost Horizon harmonious village nestled in the Kunlun Mountains where the inhabitants lived in eternal happiness and youth This mythical place has since become synonymous with an earthly paradise the Greater Shangri-La Cultural Circle spans the tri-border area of Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and the Xizang autonomous region has emerged as a key destination for both domestic and international tourists the domestic tourism market was virtually nonexistent Those who did visit tended to be academics and photographers looking to gain some insight into the region’s highly unusual culture These visitors were primarily foreign backpackers and official delegations “Many female European tourists were amazed by the lifestyle of Mosuo women and they considered it a true form of feminism Some even said they would like to replicate a Mosuo-style matriarchal village back in the United Kingdom,” Geze said the Mosuo people were unfamiliar with monetary transactions and relied on a barter system and the Mosuo would provide food and accommodation This resulted in village resources being depleted Local governments eventually intervened and established a system of fees A portion of the 3 billion yuan ($423 million) earmarked for tourism development is being allocated to preserving the Mosuo culture The economic push is expected to create jobs for locals and markedly lift living standards Geze’s family hosts several tour groups daily for “Mosuo home visits” allowing tourists to see firsthand how Mosuo people live “From complete dependence on the land to gradually moving away from it the transformation in lifestyle has brought more choices and freedom the income from tourism ensures a stable livelihood,” Geze said Green tourism has flourished around Lugu Lake in recent years “According to the legends we are brought up with anyone sullying the waters of Lake Lugu or felling the trees around it faces the eternal wrath of the mountains and gods,” Geze said revered by the Mosuo people as a holy lake holds a sacred place in their hearts and culture the Mosuo have lived in harmony with the lake the 1990s brought a wave of change that threatened this delicate balance led to increasing pollution and ecological degradation began to suffer under the weight of human activity Yunnan and Sichuan provinces have collaborated to protect and manage Lugu Lake through the introduction of a protection convention 17 waterfront platforms and six piers have been dismantled and those areas of the lake restored to their natural state 160 residential inns within the 80-meter ecological red line have been removed This land has been repurposed for the construction of ecological corridors and wetland buffer zones marking a major shift from “human encroachment” to “ecological restoration” local authorities have also implemented strict regulations on lake activities and surrounding businesses motorized and metal boats are now prohibited from entering the lake Lugu Lake’s water quality now consistently meets Class 1 standards making it one of China’s cleanest freshwater lakes with underwater visibility reaching up to 12 meters I can see the sea vegetable flowers (ottelia acuminata) waving on the lake again just like when I was a child,” he said is a testament to the lake’s ecological recovery green tourism has flourished around the lake The local government has introduced architectural planning measures to preserve 127 Mosuo traditional houses and 25 ancient villages Efforts to promote Mosuo culture include supporting regional intangible cultural heritage inheritors and organizing traditional festivals have also been developed to enrich the visitor experience the number of tourists entering the scenic area from Lijiang reached 1.58 million a 176 percent increase from the previous year with per capita annual income rising from 829 yuan in 2003 to 34,500 yuan in 2023 — a more than 40-fold increase most Mosuo villagers work in tourism-related roles from hospitality and boating to traditional dance performances and homestay management 378 guesthouses offer 7,560 rooms and 13,590 beds providing comfortable accommodation for visitors Villagers watch a traditional Mosuo performance during an intangible cultural heritage show in the village 50-year-old Mosuo man Dashi Pinchu sits in his courtyard deep in discussion with his two sisters over blueprints for his latest lodge renovation A Luoshui villager who operates six boutique hotels with his big family Dashi is embarking on his third major upgrade — a delicate balancing act of weaving modern comforts into the architectural soul of traditional Mosuo houses Dashi’s entrepreneurial journey began in 1994 when the first flicker of electricity reached this remote Yunnan village Paddling his canoe to sell fish and operate a convenience store on an island of Lugu Lake he watched wide-eyed as pioneering tourists checked into lodges converted from wooden Mosuo houses the whole village hosted barely 100 visitors a year,” he said his matrilineal household — headed by his mother and sisters — earns about 2 million yuan annually “These hand-carved lattices are disappearing replaced by metal and glass,” he said adding that his 2025 renovation plan proposes a compromise — preserving external woodwork while modernizing interiors remaining true to our cultural heritage is paramount.” Yet transformation runs deeper than architecture While half of Mosuo families retain local traditions — where spouses live separately with their maternal clans — the other half now embrace nuclear family units Even his children have adopted Han-style wedding ceremonies said that Mosuo family structures are diversifying and outsiders portrayed walking marriage customs as “lagging behind the times” An inheritor of Mosuo traditional costume-making weaves cloth in a village by the Lugu Lake the economic growth in the 1980s brought an unexpected revival in interest in old matrilineal ways “When allowed to choose freely after experiencing different models many Mosuo consciously returned to walking marriages as both modern and culturally resonant,” wrote Duma Lamu of Lijiang Culture and Tourism College in a research article said: “Modernity’s pull grows stronger as tourism wealth sends Mosuo youth flocking to cities Many settle outside and start nuclear families.” saying: “With prosperity comes renewed interest in preserving roots Cultural conservation and development aren’t enemies — they’re partners.” Ciren said: “Today’s youth have bold visions and society increasingly embraces diverse marital choices most choose understanding over opposition.” Dashi’s lodge stands as a metaphor for his people’s navigation of modernity Wi-Fi routers will soon nestle beside ancestral carvings — a testament to the Mosuo’s enduring truth: that progress need not erase tradition so long as cultural codes evolve with care “Whether in matrilineal compounds or urban apartments the Mosuo compass remains fixed on mutual support,” Ciren said “Our culture’s essence isn’t about household structure but about how we lean on each other to find happiness in changing tides.” An individual indicating where the teen was found in the lake BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: A 17-year-old teenager tragically lost his life in a drowning incident that occurred on Saturday (April 12) in the Lugu Lake area According to the Fire and Rescue Department led by Assistant Station officer Md Hairul Azman Md Harun Tee initial investigations revealed that the local male victim had already been discovered by members of the public and was found unconscious moved the victim to a safe area where he was examined by EMAS paramedics He was subsequently transported to Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital for further assessment the on-duty doctor later confirmed that the teenager had passed away Also present at the scene were officers from the Royal Brunei Police Force led by ASP Shahassanal Izzat Sahibulbahtri from the Sengkurong Police Station the Fire and Rescue Department is once again reminding the public to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions when engaging in water-related recreational activities—whether at lakes The public is also strongly advised to avoid such activities during uncertain weather conditions individuals are reminded to wear a life jacket and use a safety rope if attempting to assist a drowning victim We would love to keep you posted on the latest promotion Metrics details three monitoring sections were set up in Lugu Lake and 2021 for the determination of physical and chemical properties such as permanganate index biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and so on By using the single factor pollution index method and the Nemerow pollution index method the water quality of three monitoring sections and the whole Lugu Lake was assessed and the temporal and spatial changes of water quality were analyzed The findings demonstrate that Lugu Lake's overall water quality is excellent and that it has not altered significantly in three years.The results of evaluating the water quality by the single factor pollution index method show that the water quality of the three monitoring sections and the whole of Lugu Lake is Category I and the measured indicators all meet the water quality standard of Category I It can be seen from the evaluation results of the Nemerow index method that the water quality pollution index of Lugu Lake is between 0.22 and 0.34 in the past three years and the water quality evaluation of Changdao Bay Zhaojia Bay and the whole are Category I standards in 2019 the water quality of Lugu Lake has remained stable between 2019 and 2021 the water quality in Lake center is better than the monitoring sections of Changdao Bay and Zhaojia Bay scientific evaluation of lake and reservoir water quality is beneficial to the development utilization and protection of lake and reservoir resources Lugu Lake is located at the junction of Yanyuan County in Sichuan Province and Ninglang County in Yunnan Province and the west of the lake is Yongning Township It is the third largest deep-water lake in China Lugu Lake has been rapidly developed and utilized it has driven the local economic development it has also brought certain damage to the lake and the surrounding ecological environment The study of Lugu Lake primarily focuses on the ecological environment and changes in dissolved oxygen but the study of other various monitoring indicators such as permanganate index and a variety of heavy metal ions is less monitored so the single factor pollution index method and the Nemero pollution index method are used to study a number of indicators in order to provide new information this paper uses the water quality monitoring data of Lugu Lake from 2019 to 2021 adopts the single factor evaluation method and the Nemerow pollution index method to evaluate and analyze the water quality changes of Lugu Lake in three years and discusses the impact of human activities on the water quality of Lugu Lake In order to provide a scientific basis for the environmental protection of Lugu Lake and the sustainable development of water resources and the first half of 2021 in accordance with the standards of the national surface water environmental quality monitoring network for collection measurement and separation (on-site monitoring technical guidelines).Permanganate Index petroleum (petroleum ether extraction) and volatile phenol of water samples was carried out in the laboratory according to the national standard method the single factor pollution index method and the Nemerow pollution index method were selected to comprehensively evaluate the water quality of the Lugu Lake in three years the main pollutants in the water and their hazard levels can be determined The pollution index of the specific pollutant is calculated by dividing the actual measured value of the pollutant and the evaluation standard and the evaluation result is expressed by the pollution index The formula of the single factor pollution index method is: The environmental quality standard evaluation grading standard of the single factor pollution index method is shown in Table 1 The calculation method of the comprehensive pollution index is as follows: PN is the comprehensive pollution index of the sampling point; \({\mathrm{P}}_{\mathrm{imax}}\) is the maximum value of the single-item pollution index of the pollutants at the sampling point; \({\mathrm{P}}_{1}\)=\(\frac{1}{\mathrm{n}}\sum_{\mathrm{i}=1}^{\mathrm{n}}{\mathrm{P}}_{\mathrm{i}}\) is the average value of the single-factor index Spatial and temporal variation characteristics of water quality in Lugu Lake Gt1 is the Nemerow index at the start time of the comparison time Gt2 is the Nemerow index of the sampling point at the termination time; GS1 and GS2 are the Nemerow index in the sampling points of the start section and the end section in the comparison space Water quality statistics of Lugu Lake in 2019 Comparing the average values of the water quality indicators of Lugu Lake with the standards in Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water (GB3838-2002) the water quality monitoring indicators of the three monitoring sections of Lugu Lake's Changdao Bay Lake center and Zhaojia Bay all reached the Category I standard the pollution generated by the Lugu Lake's surrounding environment can be discharged to the standard after treatment allowing the lake's water quality to remain good and reasonably steady According to the formula (1), the data of the four monitoring indicators in the Lugu Lake are calculated, and the single factor pollution index of each monitoring indicator in the Lugu Lake is shown in Table 6 It can be seen from Table 6 that the single factor index method is based on the three types of water quality standards in the Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water cyanide The water quality evaluation of sulfide zinc and selenium are all Category I standards Compared with the water quality standards in the Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water the single factor pollution evaluation method can more simply and intuitively reflect the pollution status of the water quality of Lugu Lake The water quality of Lugu Lake is Category I standard Comparison of Nemerow pollution index of various monitoring sections of Lugu Lake in 2019. Comparison of Nemerow pollution index of various monitoring sections of Lugu Lake in 2020. Changes in Nemerow pollution index for the Lake center and The whole from 2019 to 2021 it can be seen that the overall water quality of Lugu Lake has improved in the past three years and it has always been classified as Category I water quality making up for the shortcomings of the single factor index method so the Nemerow index method is more comprehensive than the single factor index method for water quality evaluation the water quality in the center of Lugu Lake in 2021 was lower than that in 2020 The overall water quality of Lugu Lake is good and the water quality has not changed much in three years it will meet the Category I water quality standard in the Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water The results of evaluating the water quality by the single factor pollution index method show that the water quality of Lugu Lake has not changed significantly from 2019 to 2021 All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article Liu, M. et al. 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Eng. & Equipment (02):119–121. https://doi.org/10.19566/j.cnki.cn35-1285/tq.2020.02.051 (2020) (In Chinese) Download references This work was supported by Sichuan Science and Technology Program (2021YFS0284) Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering Department of Pollution Source and Emergency Monitoring Sichuan Ecological Environment Monitoring Station The authors declare no competing interests Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-17874-w Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Environmental Geochemistry and Health (2025) Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Anthropocene newsletter — what matters in anthropocene research The dates displayed for an article provide information on when various publication milestones were reached at the journal that has published the article activities on preceding journals at which the article was previously under consideration are not shown (for instance submission China possesses the second-largest global reserves of phosphorus ore yet an annual production exceeding 100 million tons indicates that China's phosphorus resources could be depleted within 35 years (Xie et al. the substantial input of phosphorus into the environment has led to severe eutrophication and disrupting ecological balance (Liu et al. Transferring these "misplaced resources" while addressing the shortage of P resources and eutrophication of surface water Water ResearchCitation Excerpt :In summary actual P inputs into watersheds occur through various pathways including point sources and non-point sources P is found in diverse forms within water column as delineated in the comprehensive summaries provided by Ni et al Given the various reactivity of different P species they may have different potential impacts on watershed eutrophication Ecological IndicatorsCitation Excerpt :The lake is an important local reservoir and harbors a simple ecosystem structure Lake Lugu is the highest lake in the Yunnan Province and the third deepest lake in China (27°41′-27°45′N,100°45′-100°51′E) with a a surface area of 59 km2 (Zhao et al. the lake is not subjected to much anthropogenic pressure All content on this site: Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. Investigators work Monday on Oak Hill Road in Leyden at the site of a plane crash that killed all three on board on Sunday morning Fredrika “Rika” Ballard was the founder of Fly Lugu flight school at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport Fly Lugu flight school founder Fredrika Ballard was remembered this week as a consummate professional who worked hard to support opportunities for women in aviation was killed Sunday when the Beechcraft Baron B55 in which she was traveling crashed in the woods near the Leyden-Greenfield town line minutes after takeoff from Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport Hampton was a flight instructor at Fly Lugu and Davidson was a student pilot a flight instructor at Northampton Airport according to a short biography on the Fly Lugu website flying means freedom,” she told BusinessWest for a profile in the magazine’s Women of Impact for 2023 “I’m as comfortable in the air as I am on the ground.” With limited opportunities for women in aviation she pursued a career in the medical services industry she decided to get back into aviation as a career The name refers to something Ballard’s father would say about flying: Look up “I had the privilege of working [as her instructor] on her commercial and flight instructor certificates,” Beede said Ballard started Fly Lugu with a couple of planes she owned 130 students on average and roughly 24 flights per day She went on to buy the flight maintenance company at Barnes which is now integrated with the flight school The company employs four mechanics and is involved with initiatives to build new hangars at the airport One of Ballard’s goals in establishing Fly Lugu engineering and math) education in the local community an unmet need she had encountered as a member of Westfield Technical Academy’s advisory council She was a member of the Connecticut Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots and Women in Aviation International as well as Western Mass Wright Flight and the Kiwanis Club of Westfield Messages left at Fly Lugu this week have not been returned A tribute on the Connecticut Ninety-Nines Facebook page described Ballard as “an enormous supporter of women in aviation and an absolute inspiration to hundreds of pilots in the New England region and worldwide Her dedication to getting more women and girls in the air was unmatched.” Beede said the aviation community is close and he and Ballard kept in touch regularly “I actually went with her to pick up that airplane that went down,” he said Officials have not confirmed who was flying the twin-engine plane but Beede said Ballard was a backseat passenger going along to monitor flight school performance “That exemplifies the passion she had for flying,” he said Authorities began searching for the crash site at approximately 11:30 a.m after dog walkers in Leyden and Greenfield saw the plane go down and called 911 in a small clearing in the woods within the Leyden Wildlife Management Area Flight tracking company FlightAware’s website shows the plane heading north from Barnes after takeoff at 11:06 making four loops over Whately and Deerfield then continuing north to its final recorded position at 11:25 told the Greenfield Recorder he was standing in his 60-acre field at the intersection of Leyden Road and Barton Road when he saw the plane descend from the sky in a “corkscrew manner.” “I thought it was someone fooling around doing acrobatics until it began to nosedive,” Duprey said Duprey said he was surprised at how loud it was it went silent before disappearing from sight and the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office are involved in the investigation Ballard accomplished a lot in her too-short time in the world of flying “We all thought she was really a positive influence for women in aviation,” he said in the Ninety-Nines tribute: “A mentor and confidante to many female pilots in the area Rika instilled confidence in countless pilots and student pilots with her mantra Beede noted that flying is an inherently dangerous occupation “It’s a community where we take risks,” he said but things happen beyond people’s ability to control James Pentland can be reached at jpentland@gazettenet.com you agree with our use of cookies to personalize your experience measure ads and monitor how our site works to improve it for our users Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker 2021 shows a lakeside ecological belt construction and wetland restoration project by Lugu Lake in Lige Village standing about 2,700 meters above sea level and surrounded by forest-clad mountains Although it is far in every sense from Hong Kong where I run a literary press I always had a hunch that I would visit Lugu Lake some day nested in the sub-Himalayan roots of China's Yunnan province has long been a fashionable retreat for Chinese writers fleeing urban modernity One of our more famous novelists would occasionally pop up in our offices announcing she was back from "Yunnan" - by which she meant Dali Inseparable from the lake's modish mystique is the much-misrepresented matriarchal culture of the Mosuo people who live on its shores So when photographer Pamela and I finally arrived in southwestern Yunnan to work on a new book after a few days in Lijiang we felt it was time to move onto Lugu The 200 kilometer ride was a spectacular one through passes deep in the Yulong mountain range with stunning vistas of snowcapped peaks Our bus stopped at a high-altitude ticket station and finally we saw how the fabled lake unfolded: alpine flowers blooming around the glittering waters with forested slopes It carries an image of two women in traditional dress paddling a boat Colours radiate from the sign with lurid urgency: the water is aquamarine the surrounding mountains neon and the women's teeth iridescent "Welcome to the Kingdom of Women" Lugu Lake is the historical home of the Mosuo an ethnic minority with a population of 40,000 that forms one of the last matrilineal societies on Earth Situated in the mountains on the border between Sichuan and Yunnan provinces the remoteness of the region has long preserved traditions There was just one craggy road to the area for decades But a recent influx of tourists is spurring dramatic changes in Mosuo culture nearly three times as many as the previous year Improvements to infrastructure have made the lake increasingly accessible: a second road opened in 2012 and the completion of the 954m yuan (£100m) Lugu Lake airport this year will bring an extra 450,000 people It's easy to see why visitors are attracted Villages of traditional timber houses dot the shoreline – it's the Chinese St Moritz strung with Tibetan prayer flags "Mosuo people only consider girls as heirs," said La Cier who became the head of the household when their mother died Dressed in a floor-length cotton skirt and a red woven headdress she explained that her sisters contribute to the family by working as migrants in cities "Women are more reliable than men," La said There's no need to ask for help from men." Mosuo women have an unusual degree of sexual liberty Men and women do not form monogamous partnerships for life Rather they have "walking marriages" where the man visits the woman's bedroom at night returning to his mother's house in the morning become part of the woman's clan – La's five siblings have three different fathers this led to wild misrepresentations of the Mosuo by central Chinese powers which tended to cast the country's ethnic minorities as exotic or barbaric to propagate ideas of cultural backwardness Salacious versions of walking marriage can still be read in guides in Luoshui there is a red light district where mainly south-east Asian prostitutes dress in Mosuo costume More modern marketing campaigns portray a female Utopia which means there's no blame or shame or shunning because a woman has sex," said Eileen Walsh an anthropologist at the University of Sydney who has travelled to the region since the early 1990s "You also have a system in which you never have abandoned women and children you don't have bastards who spend their lives suffering Walsh cautions against labelling the Mosuo as matriarchal She says matrilineal and matrilocal are closer to the truth: men hold the political power in Mosuo nobility As twilight descends on Xiaoluoshui village on the lake's north shore In the central square techno blasts from speakers as women in sequined versions of Mosuo dress – Gypsy skirts cropped jackets and elaborate headdresses – form a spiralling conga line with 200 tourists around a fire The dancing gives way to a public karaoke session and then the crowd dissipates Mosuo women plastered with make-up hastily pose for photographs before shedding their skirts shows 100 tourists a day around the Mosuo Museum in Luoshui She earns 2,000 yuan (£215) a month and pools resources with her boyfriend whom she has lived with since leaving her mother's house And while she did not always wish to be a tour guide Yongzhen enjoys meeting new people every day she smiles shyly before admitting she wants to be an air stewardess "I think they are amazingly graceful," she said Tourism has been vital to the development of Lugu Lake lifting many families out of poverty with remarkable swiftness "In my 20s Mosuo people could hardly feed their families and children had no clothes Hu estimates 80% of families are involved in the tourist industry with annual incomes reaching 300,000 yuan (£32,000) "Lots of families let their sons paddle wooden boats for tourists or let their daughters dance," he said whom he met through walking marriage but has long lived with Such radical changes in social structure cause Mosuo leaders concern "Village heads are aware that certain things were being lost," said Walsh "But who is this pretty but poor society being preserved for It's being preserved for the urbanites so they can feel good about themselves and know that areas like this still exist." modernity would come in potentially more damaging forms such as a polluting fishing industry or the mass migration of Mosuo youth Editor's note: Adam Kritzer is a longtime Dali resident and founder of ClimbDali, a company offering guided outdoor trips and adventures in Dali and greater Yunnan. Part one of his article on hiking from Daju to Lugu Lake was published previously and can be viewed here Day three was easily the most rewarding of our five-day hike. From Baoshan the trail wound up into the mountains and we ascended 1,000 meters very quickly Despite it being springtime and us hiking at relatively low elevations Sweat poured off of us as we scrambled up the trail The mountains had been picked clean of vegetation by goats in many places and the trail had eroded away almost completely our first warning from nature that this trail was not for the faint of heart Ahead of us loomed a massive rock edifice whose sheer face rose 1,500 meters directly out of the Jinsha River below with the lack of rainfall and the dam downstream having curtailed its flow and given it a bright aquamarine hue Yang Xiao and I couldn't see a path around the cliff and we began to grow increasingly nervous that perhaps we were on the wrong trail Upon reaching the face of the cliff itself which had been bored directly through the mountain and was around 100 meters in length The tunnel provided a welcome break from the scorching sun and a chance to catch our breath after the exhausting climb we had just completed smaller tunnel near the top of the mountain Stopping at the next village we encountered we took a short break and filled up our nearly empty water bottles We still had around 15 kilometers left until Fengke (奉科) the trail wound back up the forested slopes before connecting with a dirt road from the opposite direction We weren't excited about following another road the alternative would surely involve a long uncertain detour and a lot of extra walking we made a beeline down to the river and took a short boat ride to the opposite shore Our boatman informed us that the river was now much higher as the valley had been flooded in 2012 to create a reservoir for a dam downstream He also complained that most of the fish had died and that the water was obviously no longer suitable for drinking we passed under a massive concrete bridge that was under construction Given the apparent lack of fish at the time and the fact that the bridge was completed soon after the boats of Fengke have probably already been reduced to historical relics Upon our arrival in Ninglang County (宁蒗县) we stocked up at a tiny shop before beginning our third and final ascent of the week We were uncertain as to whether we should stick to the north or south side of the tributary which had cleaved the mountain on the east side of the river into two distinct halves In order to avoid having to follow the road — a theme on this hike — we opted for the south side which would at the very least be more interesting The beginning of the trail was well-trodden with gentle switchbacks the terrain changed dramatically — a nasty combination of drought and overgrazing by goats had long since turned this part of the mountain into a quasi-desert chunks of the mountain had literally collapsed into the stream below My pulse quickened as I realized the implications for our route there were nearly a dozen sections of the trail which had completely fallen away and which required delicate tip-toeing to cross safely but I shook with fear when it came time for me to follow we reached a small village that had recently been connected to the wider world by dirt road I breathed a sigh of relief as it meant the worst was behind us This village and the one that followed were inhabited by Lisu residents Over time they have developed a unique method of building houses each of which consisted of perhaps 100 thick logs stacked horizontally They resembled the Lincoln Log houses my brothers and I used to play with when we were young and were visually quite striking While I was glad to see these villages foregoing the concrete and rebar that have become all too common in Yunnan I nonetheless wondered about the impact on the surrounding forest I didn't have much time to mull over my thoughts as we were hoping to cover more ground before setting up camp we made a quick decision to set up our tents at the first suitable place we saw this happened to be the entrance to a Buddhist temple built in the Tibetan style It seemed to us that the Lisu in this area had long ago been adopted Tibetan Buddhism We were a bit embarrassed when the next morning the local lama and caretaker of the temple had to tip-toe around us to get into the temple and even gave us a quick tour of the temple before we hastily packed up our belongings and hit the road I figured that we were getting pretty close to Lugu Lake and we could make it there by nightfall with a full day of hiking this was our fifth day of hiking with full backpacks and it seemed like Yang Xiao and I were both in need of some good rest The only problem was that we were now on a dirt road and hadn't a clue as to how to rejoin the original trail We stopped at the next village and received some vague directions about following a stream up the mountain to a pass After more than an hour following what seemed like the right way we had to concede that we were officially lost managed to find the original caravan trail we topped out at 3,800 meters in a pasture filled with cows and sheep We stopped for lunch and a well-deserved rest which from a distance was quite picturesque It consists of around 100 dwellings built in the same log-cabin style we had seen earlier We passed a group of traditionally clad Yi women for fear that we would try to take clandestine photos of them which we both agreed would send the wrong message and set a bad precedent for future hikers This situation made for an awkward hike down to the village they insisted on stopping and resting a safe distance behind us The forests around the village were in terrible shape and the village itself was strewn with garbage Another five kilometers along a dirt road brought us into the Yongping valley and a short tuk-tuk ride saw us into the town of Yongping itself so we gave the tuk-tuk driver a little extra cash to take us over to the Lamasary for which Yongping is famous a new temple was in the final stage of construction as the original one was condemned by the government after an earthquake shook the region in 2012 we headed to the bus station where two drivers literally fought over the right to take us back to Ninglang Lugu Lake was only eight kilometers down the road and Yang Xiao got off the van for a couple of additional days of light hiking and camping around the lake as virtually zero tourists approach the lake on foot from this direction the government has neglected to build a ticket office here The first phase of a new road linking Lijiang with Lugu Lake has already been finished and I arrived in Ninglang in little more than an hour — a trip that previously had take four hours already contemplating our next hiking expedition A few things have changed since this article was researched The bridge over the Yangtze at Fengke is now open And the main road from Ninglang to Lijiang is closed from 2014 until at least 2016 All traffic from Lijiang to Lugu Lake now passes along the new road through Fengke I was in this same region by bicycle a few weeks ago but criss-crossing with Adam and Yang Xiao's trail at times matthartzell.blogspot.com/[...] I live and work in Lijiang and thinking of trying to replicate this trip this coming summer It'll probably be rainy but that's the time I have off from work Any chance of doing this trail without risking one's life on the eroded parts of the trail a map of this hike (and 'death hiking' portions) would be quite interesting and useful any chance of getting some more information on this part of the trail and the other parts Please select which types of cookies you are willing to accept: each decorated with images of abstract art as components.  Players take turns using random cards to inspire their creativity and plays in about 45 minutes.  MSRP is $17.99.   NY (WKBW) — An elderly Cheektowaga woman continues to recover form COVID-19 at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital in Amherst after a judge ruled that an experimental drug be used to treat her was placed on a ventilator in late December Initially doctors gave her one dose of the controversial drug Ivermetic onto a COVID floor,” explained Ralph Lorigo and just days after the first dose doctors placed her back on a ventilator Lorigo said the hospital refused to give her more doses of the drug That’s when he drew up court papers and included a letter from the woman’s doctor who wrote how she improved "dramatically" after the first dose State Supreme Court Judge Henry Nowak ordered the hospital to administer the drug “I say to him — I’ve got a court order — we've relieved you of liability My people will sign a release and I go through the history of this lady — they still object,” Lorigo explained There is debate about using Ivermectin to treat COVID The FDA approved drug is used mostly to treat children for head lice But it has been effective for some COVID patients “Some studies report a benefit — some studies do not,” remarked Dr Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Russo tells us the drug has received significant attention “Ivermectin is believed to both anti-inflammatory properties and potentially anti-viral against the new Coronavirus,” Dr Lorigo said the hospital finally agreed to give Smemthiewicz the drug again “And the judge finally decides that look — the family physician ordered it — the hospital has to give it to her — that's his order and they have to continue it,” said Lorigo Federal privacy laws prevent us from disclosing details on the patient's hospital stay Russo said there is not enough data for the National Institute of Health to recommend Ivermetic for treating COVID “It’s possible that it could actually make treatment less effective It’s critical to learn how the drugs work together We already do t have some treatments that are effective for the treatment of COVID But Lorigo said Smemthiewicz is living proof that it works She’s now off the ventilator and expected to be released to rehab soon He said the lesson here is the importance of health advocacy — in this case from her family “And because of that — this woman is alive today and on her way to being healthy,” Lorigo stated App More than 20,000 birds of over 30 species have arrived at Lugu Lake an alpine lake at the border of Southwest China's Sichuan and Yunnan provinces It is renowned for its stunning scenery and clean water As many as 30,000 birds are expected to spend the winter here and in its surrounding wetlands this year Tourists take photos by the water in Lugu Lake in southwest China The area is home to the Mosuo ethnic group which has one of the world's relatively rare matrilineal societies Tourists are drawn to the shores of Lugu Lake in southwest China by tales of an exotic "Kingdom of Daughters," where the women of the Mosuo ethnic group head one of the world's relatively rare matrilineal societies the tourists have created their share of problems over the years The Mosuo's "walking marriages," in which Mosuo women traditionally were allowed to have multiple lovers have enticed some tourists to try to take liberties with local women "So we have to beat them up," says Mosuo tour guide Geze Duoji they behave better," he adds with a chuckle the building of roads and an airport have increased the trickle of visitors into a tsunami inundating the pristine alpine region with people Electric scooters for rent sit outside a row of restaurants near Lugu Lake Renting real estate for out-of-town businessmen to run inns and restaurants on is a major source of income for Mosuo residents around the lake The Yunnan provincial government has responded by ordering a halt to the building of hotels on Lugu Lake Geze Duoji notes that the Mosuo have traditionally given careful consideration to balancing factors such as population The government's moratorium on hotel building suggests that the Mosuo may have reached a sort of equilibrium between economic development and traditional culture Tourism has helped the Mosuo to emerge from centuries of poverty and isolation in the highlands of northwest Yunnan every family sends a member to a sort of nightly barn dance for tourists One of the dancers is 34-year-old Nazhu Zhuoma (Left) In the most developed village of Luoshui (Right) Nazhu Zhuoma poses with a tourist for a photo after the performance Most of her family's income comes from tourism she also rents out an inn on the lake for out-of-town businessmen to run Nazhu says everyone in her family does whatever they're best at "My mom feeds the pigs and chickens," she explains "I take care of relations with the businessmen Her mom is the honorary head of the household but Nazhu herself manages the family's finances Family members give her any money they make Zhaba Songding and his maternal grandmother Ani Ciru warm themselves by the hearth in their traditional living room known in Mosuo culture as a "grandmother's room." brothers and sisters live their whole lives together in the same house Households can have three or four generations and dozens of people in one home "Our language has no word for aunt," Geze explains "Your mother's sisters are all your mothers Which one gave birth to you is not important." Everyone shares the family's belongings equally as well as responsibility for raising their sisters' kids with perhaps some consultation from other family members "I don't think I ever discussed whether or not to have children with my husband," Nazhu Zhuoma says matter-of-factly "It seems he didn't really have much to do with it." (Top) Geze Duoji's sister Danzeng Nongzuo enters her home (Left) Zhaba Songding's mother Cili Zhuoma carries a load of hay home (Right) Nazhu Zhuoma visits her husband's home She and her husband Zhaba Songding did manage to have two kids and returns in the mornings with the children to spend the days at home with his mom where his siblings and maternal relatives also live In a "walking marriage," it's the men who do the walking Before he got his wife's family's permission to marry her "I had to sneak into her home after her family had gone to sleep around midnight or 1 a.m.," he recalls male-female relationships are free of possessiveness and their society has practically no widows or orphans Zhaba Songding's mother Cili Zhuoma and his son survival is no longer an issue for the Mosuo and so their social structure has begun to erode as they opt for smaller families with higher incomes Geze Duoji estimates that roughly a quarter of Mosuo people have abandoned matrilineal families He says there have only been two periods of serious damage to the matrilineal system in recent history The first time was during the 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution Chinese tourism to Lugu lake began in the early 1980s Foreigners were allowed in in the early 1990s Nazhu Zhuoma says that the prospect of freedom from family pressures once tempted her to leave her mother's home I mustn't shirk my responsibility to my family." Geze Duoji says that most of the psychological pressure on the Mosuo comes from being misunderstood or looked down upon He says may Chinese tourists see the Mosuo and their matrilineal society as primitive and weird now that you've met advanced people like us why do you still practice these walking marriages?'" he says We feel we have no way to interact with outsiders on an equal footing." Geze says that many outsiders have the impression that Mosuo women lord it over men decisions are made democratically at family meetings with each adult member having his or her say and labor is divided in a humane and equitable fashion Men preside over everything related to death such as funerals and slaughtering livestock while women are in charge of everything related to birth and life A street leads through Luoshui Village toward Lugu Lake the Mosuo's political leaders were often women as the Mosuo feel men are better suited to act as envoys to the outside world of male-dominated politics Many Chinese and foreign journalists have reported that Mosuo couples signal romantic interest in each other by tickling the palms of the hands Geze says that this is simply a myth propagated by tour guides to entertain tourists Geze says he tells inquisitive tourists that he's not Mosuo so that he doesn't have to answer their bothersome questions For the past several weeks, GoKunming has published a series of articles featuring photographs by Joseph Francis Charles Rock linguist and botanist who explored western China extensively in the 1920s and 30s We began in southern Yunnan and then made our way north and then west seeing what caught Rock's fancy as he moved through the countryside but was perhaps more enamored of the nearby Tibetan lamasery called Yongning (永宁寺) Nice work showing the history of this out of the way place became even more beautiful and charming recently as a large number of Ottelia acuminata Many tourists can be seen arriving every day at the lake in the ancient city of Lijiang to enjoy the flowers rippling with the waves a water species endemic to southwest China is usually in full bloom on Lugu Lake between May and October attracting a large number of tourists from home and abroad Growth will be affected even if the water is only lightly polluted or if fertilizer has run into the lake from farmland found in China’s Yunnan and Sichuan provinces has been described as “The Kingdom of Women” for its matrilineal culture bears striking resemblance to the profile of a slumbering woman: forehead Gemu was a goddess who trysted with several male gods down on earth but missed the deadline to go back up to heaven watching over the lake and its people as a constant guardian (all her male lovers turned into smaller mountains surrounding her) I wonder if Gemu is watching as our Tibetan driver takes me and my traveling companions along the lake shore from Yunnan to Sichuan province Yang shares the story of how he fell in love with a Mosuo woman and left with her to work in the southeastern city of Guangzhou before returning to Lugu Lake to have their child While Mosuo typically inherit surnames from their mother “we fought over whose surname our child would take—and almost divorced because of it—but I won,” Yang says triumphantly who number under 100,000 and have their own language have lived for over two thousand years at the edge of Lugu Lake the perceived exoticism of their matrilineal culture has been a draw for tourists many of whom portray it as a feminist utopia—a “Kingdom of Women” or “Nation of Daughters”—on the far-flung frontier of southwestern China Lugu Lake straddles the border of Yunnan and Sichuan The freshwater lake is the highest in Sichuan with waters so pure they shimmer green and blue at different depths freshly-paved roads connect it to the bustling tourist town of Lijiang shortening a seven-day horseback ride to a smooth five-hour drive Family finances were traditionally managed by Mosuo women collectively As with most ethnic groups in modern China the last few decades reconfigured Mosuo life The world has come knocking on Lugu Lake’s door with most of its young people exposed to new thinking by several years of work or study in nearby towns and cities I flew into the shiny Ninglang Lugu Lake Airport—completed in 2015 and known as Yunnan’s highest altitude airport—and boarded a bus that wound around the hills for an hour up to the lake’s shores a Mosuo ticket-seller with a ponytail and a baseball cap who chattered excitedly with the Yi bus driver in Mandarin Holding onto the railing as the bus swerved to and fro Jiachu told me she hoped to move out of her maternal home once she saved enough money “The last generation couldn’t afford to build new houses,” she said My mother picked her most capable daughter to continue as head of her household and the rest of us can go out and start our own nuclear families.” More and more young people like Jiachu are opting out of the traditional Mosuo family structure Mosuo belong to their mother’s household their entire life with three generations living in a courtyard complex with their grandmother at the helm she moves into her own “flower room” separate from the grandmother’s complex men can only visit women at night and must leave in the morning; it is considered impolite if he is seen by the family skits performed for tourists in local villages dramatize this rendezvous: Men determinedly climb in through a woman’s window or leave their hats hanging on the doors to ward off other suitors Affection is at the center of a Mosuo relationship where both sides retain their financial independence men will formally offer gifts to the woman’s family the men are welcome to visit their axia’s family and sit by the hearth for meals and tea though most still live and work in their maternal homes is often translated as “walking marriage,” though some argue it is not a marriage at all All children are raised in the mother’s family though the birth father will give a feast at the child’s first full month to publicly acknowledge they are blood relations A child calls each of their mother’s sisters “mother,” while the word for “maternal uncle” carries more emotional weight than the word for “father.” Men help raise the children born to their sisters and typically have little to do with parenting their own child a woman needs only refuse to open her door or a man needs only to say he will no longer be stopping by Both are free to seek new partners without social stigma and some Mosuo tell me there is less domestic violence compared to other places The hearth room is where the family matriarch sleeps and where important decisions are made a Chinese anthropologist named Zhan Yongxu conducted a survey of the marital status of 1,740 women and 785 men living along the lake finding 73 percent practiced axia relationships Zhan reflected that the axia system was able to persist because the influence of the outside world was still relatively weak at the time—mountain communities across the world rely on isolation for their unique cultures to flourish—and the notion of individual private ownership had not yet formed and many young Mosuo are now leaving their matrilineal homes and moving in with their lovers citing various reasons: Couples are having less children and investing more in each child’s education Birth fathers now hope to have a more active role in their children’s lives Surrounded from a young age with classmates of Yi many Mosuo are also marrying across ethnic lines Some couples simply want to live romantic lives with each other gulls flit through the mist that rises from the lake’s placid waters My travel companions and I decide to circle the lake (around 60 kilometers) by foot and by bike to truly get to know it We pulled over for a rest on a rocky outcrop dominated by a stone stupa which formed the center of a dense entanglement of hundreds of trembling Tibetan prayer flags—a sign explained this was the source of Lugu Lake who practice Tibetan Buddhism alongside indigenous spiritualism the lake is supposed to grant a blessing to all those who sip its water Mosuo were thought to have come to Lugu Lake over 2,000 years ago as yak herders following the rivers south from modern-day Gansu to avoid the expanding Qin army that would establish the first Chinese empire (221 – 206 BCE) In early historical records such as the Book of Later Han the Mosuo were known as “Yak Barbarians” who lived beside Lugu Lake and lived off its plentiful natural resources When Kublai Khan’s army entered Yunnan in the 13th century many of his soldiers settled on the eastern side of the lake some families in the community gradually became patrilineal some of these eastern Mosuo have successfully petitioned the government to register them as Mongol ethnicity while other Mosuo are registered under the Naxi ethnicity Lugu Lake was loosely administered in the chieftain system in which a local chief ruled as a representative of the imperial court It is said that the Mosuo family structure helped them evade a Qing dynasty (1616 – 1911) marriage tax Tibetan Buddhism was introduced to the Mosuo in the 13th century and coexists with indigenous spiritual practice The story of the last Mosuo chieftain’s secondary wife is preserved on an island in the lake now named Princess Island the rocky isle is topped by a mansion (now a museum) where she once lived: reciting poems and planting peonies until her death in 2008 It was a political marriage: She was meant to help her husband with his paperwork in Chinese Xiao’s story seems to contradict the popular idea of the Mosuo as practitioners of “free love”: She was formally married to an older man she had never met The more nuanced truth is that Mosuo marriage practices have always evolved with the pressures of migration and political movements While centuries of imperial rule failed to fundamentally change the social practices of common people the last few decades have done far more in changing Mosuo culture from the inside-out trekking up a dirt path to a traditional courtyard home belonging to a 24-year-old man named Kuzuo His grandmother is still sitting by the hearth of her zumuwu (“grandmother’s room”) built entirely out of wood as per Mosuo tradition It is where the family holds meetings and where important guests are welcomed Surrounding her is a Tibetan Buddhist altar with two pillars signifying the two genders and the newest addition to the room: a full-body electric massage chair between hanging scrolls of Tibetan thangka painting the Mosuo chieftain lost his mansions in the land reform He and his wives were locked up for ten years during the Cultural Revolution Red Guards visiting Lugu Lake were also appalled at the “feudal” practice of sese many couples of walking marriages were pressured to register their marriages with the government the widespread fascination of Lugu Lake is tied with a fetishization of sese as promiscuity “The owner is out on a walking marriage.” Tour guides report having trouble with overeager men trying to pick up Mosuo women Media have reported that certain hotels and tours offer a “walking marriage experience” in which a professional sex worker would come to your door dressed in traditional Mosuo clothing “the lies that tour guides spread about us.” Another popular misconception is often spread by Western visitors: While Mosuo culture is matrilineal Mosuo families traditionally worked as a collective with no sense of personal property so there was nothing for women to inherit over men Both genders have equal say at the fireplace where important decisions are made women controlling finances and doing housework men organizing community events and doing heavy manual labor this dynamic is also breaking down as incomes and lifestyles diverge gives us a lift to town while bringing his family’s walnuts to market he recalls his childhood in which families helped each other with planting and harvests: “You help your neighbor that’s how it had always been.” For every event in the village each family must send one member to help out with cooking As community spirit declined in recent years some local towns have begun imposing fines on families who fail to participate Performances for tourists are operated as a village collective with each family sending one member to dance Zhaxi tells us that he left Lugu Lake at age 11—first to build roads in the county then to work in a shipbuilding factory in Jiangsu province—finally coming home aged 23 and men don’t go so much—they feel like their labor isn’t worth much.” Women take up jobs in the service industry which pay higher than the construction and factory jobs most often filled by men While I met handfuls of young Mosuo men during my trip it was much rarer to see a young Mosuo woman still living in the village Located along the main cobblestoned thoroughfare it has a wallpaper in the pattern of international flags and a menu advertising pizza Shelves in the back of the store are filled with books about Mosuo history In addition to his penchant for international culture 25-year-old Erche is the founder of the Mosuo Cultural Studies Society a volunteer group of a few dozen Mosuo who regularly host scholarly lectures He spends his spare time collecting oral history accounts from elderly Mosuo about their spiritual traditions I thought I would stay in my maternal household forever and keep the practice alive,” Erche says “But now I feel that different people do different amounts of work so I’d rather move out.” Rather than handing his income over to his family to be spent by consensus Erche preferred to control his own restaurant’s earnings—including the large sum he spent to register the Mosuo Cultural Studies Society as a social organization I sit by the water and watch a lonely string of Tibetan prayer flags shuddering violently in the wind Today’s Lugu Lake is a place where bubble tea is drunk alongside suyoucha and IKEA furniture adorns the ancient architecture of the zumuwu But perhaps it doesn’t matter—Mosuo songs may be sung during the day for tourists in cultural performances where the roving lights of a disco strafe the sky A gaggle of young men (one in a Simpsons sweater) amble past I wonder if they’re planning to climb through any windows tonight Hong Kong now watches its residents head north in search of low prices As Thailand loses appeal for Chinese travelers due to safety concerns a laid-back Yunnan city is drawing foodies and selfie-takers in search of Southeast Asian vibes within China's borders Once a poverty-stricken village in the mountains of Yunnan distributing dividends among locals while preserving its UNESCO-recognized heritage “Romance in the Alley,” highlights the evolving roles of women as they navigate the challenges of family and personal growth during China’s golden era of economic reform China Reform and Opening – Forty Years in Perspective first came to China as a fresh university exchange student from the US in 1981 and he has spent much of the past three and a half decades living and working in the country and now he is Founding Director of Himalayan Consensus and a Senior International Fellow at the Center for China and Globalization He has captured his own story and the nation's journey in China Reform and Opening – Forty Years in Perspective China Daily is running a series of articles every Thursday starting from May 24 that reveal the changes that have taken place in the country in the past four decades China Daily will run two articles from this series each week – on Tuesday and Thursday After climbing narrow passes through the land of the Yi tribes one arrives at the Lugu Lake coming over the crest of a mountain The lake spreads like a vast mirror exuding calm upon its waters The Lugu Lake is home to the Mosuo "kingdom of women" arguably the last matriarchal society left in this world They adopted many Tibetan customs and practice Tibetan Buddhism It is a female spirit that rises beside the lake reflecting their values and social hierarchy The Mosuo people love their lake and mountain men plied the Tea Caravan Trail and women stayed behind That is how they came to rule their society I first heard of the Mosuo people and the Lugu Lake from Yangerche Namu She left Lugu — the Mother Lake — as a teenager then to Beijing to the National Minorities University The Mosuo "nation of women" is arguably the world's last true matriarchal society Children never know their fathers and do not care "Zouhun" ("walking marriage") is the tradition where a Mosuo girl chooses or changes her lover Mosuo homes have a "flower chamber" built near the entrance of their courtyard houses that is separated from the main compound A young girl will signal interest to a potential lover by touching the palm of his hand with her fingertips Then she will stay in the flower chamber that night Her lover can visit her after dark and leave before sunrise through a "backdoor" which every Mosuo home has for this purpose Yangerche Namu's home is a large traditional Mosuo two-tiered courtyard built alongside the Sichuan border of the Lugu Lake with the Mosuo's sacred mountain shadowing behind the dragon is on top and phoenix on the bottom," Yangerche Namu said pushing long black hair aside with her  fingernail the phoenix is on top and the dragon on the bottom." but now live in Beijing most of the time," I asked The whole society should be like this family of mine — warm and happy together." "It has forgotten that women are the nucleus of society." "Women?" I asked "So is this the last matriarchal society?" "Our tradition is strong but under some threats," she sighed "When the door opens to the tourists and everybody comes there will be some problems in keeping our traditions Because even when more Mosuo leave home and come out just like me they will find that some things at home are good and better than elsewhere "I have been following the Tea Caravan Trail," I explained it is the Cang Mountain beside the Erhai Lake the Jade Dragon Mountain is sacred to the Naxi do the Mosuo have a sacred mountain as well we have a Female Spirit Mountain. Ge Mu is the Mosuo people’s sacred mountain The mountain is possessed by a female spirit named Ge Mu working the land together with other Mosuo women they were tilling the land beside the Lugu Lake when Heaven knew about Ge Mu and wanted her Rumors spread through villages that Heaven may have fallen in love with her beauty As she flew under the arms of Heaven's gusts The villages gathered around the lake and cried back calling her back and disrupted the force of Heaven's wind that was carrying Ge Mu aloft She fell tumbling from the sky back to her people and small dots along the crest of lake started clustering like ants along the edge of an orange peel Yangerche Namu had described along the Sichuan side of the Lugu Lake The Lugu Lake is pure water suspended above the mountains and is a point of connectivity between sky and earth Ge Mu flies into the sky and plays her flute She is the protector of peace of the Mosuo people Yangerche Namu recalled among moments in life she enjoys the most those sitting beside the lake late at night meditating on the stars that cling to the darkness above Please click here to read previous articles ATHENS — Greek MPs late Thursday voted in favor of a packet of pension cuts and tax increases that should pave the way for the next tranche of bailout funding to the indebted nation The measures include pension cuts in 2019 and tax increases in 2020 which together would save about €5 billion The victory for Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' government comes just days before Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos heads to Brussels for Monday's Eurogroup meeting with his eurozone counterparts Finance ministers at the Eurogroup meeting are expected to sign off on the release of around €7 billion which Greece needs to meet debt obligations due in July Greek debt currently stands at nearly 180 percent of gross domestic product Greek MPs debated the measures in a mammoth and heated debate Center-right opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis attacked Tsipras for committing to further austerity measures you’d do what you did in 2015: after voting … resign,” Mitsotakis said He also referred to Tsipras' premiership as the “biggest political scam the country has ever known.” “You claimed you'd end austerity and tear up the memorandums and today you sign the memorandums in pairs and with both hands," Mitsotakis said to the governing MPs Tsipras responded by saying that the government was “heading towards a comprehensive agreement to lead the country out of the memorandums,” and called Mitsotakis a “false prophet.” a last minute protest outside the parliament trying to storm the parliament and hurling Molotov cocktails Athens is hoping it can sell the unpopular measures domestically as a strategic victory if it takes home a commitment on debt relief The embattled prime minister said the feedback he had receive on the issue was “so positive that we are having difficulty believing it … [it] is too good to be true.” While Tsipras took power in January 2015 with significant popular support public approval has plummeted after his government signed up to a third bailout deal with European lenders and passed further painful austerity measures government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said the implementation of the measures was conditional on debt relief and the involvement of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) "If the IMF does not [re-join] the [Greek bailout] program and if we do not receive an adjustment of the Greek debt with detailed medium-term measures then there is no reason to implement the measures," he said during an appearance on the Greek Skai TV station In order to offset public disapproval of austerity the government also passed legislation for so-called countermeasures including housing benefits for vulnerable households school meals and reduced medicine costs for pensioners on the government attaining a primary surplus of 3.5 percent of GDP plus an additional 1 percent to cover the cost of the countermeasures After attacks targeting political figures in Greece and abroad there is concern the violence could escalate Lucas Papademos was a caretaker leader of government at the height of the Greek debt crisis Can’t you see I’m talking?’ Golden Dawn’s Ilias Kasidiaris told political rival The Documenta festival has set up in Athens The province's newest airport opened last week once again reinforcing the point that in Yunnan is off limits from infrastructure development The initial test phase for Ninglang Lugu Lake Airport (宁蒗泸沽湖机场) passed without event following opening ceremonies as are looming development projects associated with the airport Lugu Lake lies 200 kilometers northeast of Lijiang and straddles the border with Sichuan getting there had been a bit of a trial due to a relative lack of road infrastructure the airport sits perched atop Shifo Mountain (石佛山) at the lofty elevation of 3,293 meters above sea level It is the highest altitude airport in Yunnan and seventeenth highest in the world It is also a bit far removed from the nearest major tourism magnet The new airport is roughly 25 kilometers south of the lakeshore The area near Lugu's new terminal will soon be encircled by all manner of businesses tourist attractions and housing developments construction of "large scale tourism projects are not allowed" beside the lake in an attempt to keep its waters and overall ambience intact Once up and running at projected capacity Lugu Lake Airport is expected to receive 450,000 passengers each year Numbers of this magnitude far outstrip the current capacity of nearby hotels to say nothing of the corresponding markets trinket shops and general utility infrastructure needed to accommodate so many travelers several projects associated with the airport are currently planned or under construction luxury villas and the somewhat ominously named Mosuo Paradise International Resort The Mosuo (摩梭) people are, in fact, as much of a draw for domestic tourists as the alpine lake and its surrounding scenery. Officially recognized as a subset of the Naxi (纳西), the Mosuo are known throughout China for their 'walking marriages' This cultural tradition centers around couples never formally being pronounced man and wife women typically choose who their sexual partners are and how long a given relationship lasts Traditions such as these have led to increasing numbers of curious tourists visiting the Lugu Lake area coupled with nearby development projects expected to cost in the neighborhood of 1.4 billion yuan (US$221 million) should make those number rise significantly Ninglang Lugu Lake Airport is only receiving flights four times weekly Friday and Sunday with flights lasting one hour More destinations are expected to be added soon Image: DJKTour The new airport is roughly 25 kilometers south of the lakeshore - Those nasty taxi drivers are sure going to make a killing Problem is the nature of tourism in any society where peoples' performance-lifestyles are created as commodities Look like it's high time to visit that lovely place before it gets completely commercialized and crowded with loads of tourists.. Bail - If you go to Lugu Lake please let us all know the price of plane tickets and how you get from the airport to the lake please The Lugu Lake area is already completely commercialized Having contacted Lugu Lake government portals on WeChat and verified again by telephone they now officially accept foreign travelers they denied entry of foreigners a while back due to the pandemic One-way direct flight from Kunming to Lugu Lake via Lucky Air ranges from $220 to $290 (excluding $50 airport taxes) depending on dates Airport buses to lake bus terminal cost $30/pax Other cities that could fly to Lugu Lake besides Kunming are Chongqing and Chengdu Lake sightseeing buses that drive around the entire lake which starts in Yunnan and crosses over to Sichuan Province and back 2/3 of lake is supposedly in the territory of Sichuan $60/pax for two-day all-you-can-ride scenic bus pass Lugu Lake buses to Lijiang takes approximately four hours halving the driving time in the past due to new roads Do you mean US Dollars or did you mean RMB/CNY Lakeside sightseeing bus timetable: First bus @8:30 pic1.zhimg.com/v2-f183e13b1fd10ca988751388ee217edf_b.jpg pic4.zhimg.com/v2-580a436b434ed375abc510caca6bb5a6_b.jpg but far below Earth's mostly solid rock surface lies a hot center made almost completely of metal The earth's liquid outer core is an iron-and-nickel alloy that serves as a buffer between the inner core and Earth's mantle With all the talk these days about the harmful effects of global warming and increasingly hot temperatures on Earth you might assume that Earth's core could stand to chill out a bit we need the planet's inner core to remain at a blistering hot temperature so that it can protect Earth from potentially harmful solar winds and debris The temperature of the Earth's core is about as toasty as the sun's surface That's when the planet first formed from a cloud of gases and particles Gravity caused iron and other heavy substances to sink deep into the middle of Earth while lighter material like air and water rose past the Earth's mantle to the crust The stuff in the middle is so hefty that the outer core's gravity is about three times that of Earth's surface It still maintains some of its original heat, as well as that created by gravitational friction from the movement of heavier materials closer to the center. The inner core continues to grow by about a centimeter every thousand years, gaining more heat as it expands. Decaying radioactive isotopes also add heat to the mix as they radiate from the Earth's mantle [source: Anuta] If the core were to cool completely, scientists believe the planet would grow cold and dead. It also would get a little dark: Power utilities pull radiant heat from Earth's crust and use it to heat water, the steam from which powers turbines to create electricity [source: Anuta] Cooling also could cost us the magnetic shield around the planet created by heat from the core This shield protects Earth from cosmic radiation It's created by a convection process caused by constantly moving iron Just how much losing the magnetic field would change life on Earth isn't clear Some scientists say the planet could see an onslaught of radioactive waves that would overheat the planet and make it uninhabitable Other scientists point to a possible uptick in solar rays that are believed to cause cancer Still more observers say we could experience sweeping solar winds, perhaps as strong as those that may have swept all of the oceans, lakes and rivers from Mars and Venus. It's safe to say we're better off not finding out exactly what losing the magnetic field would mean [source: Schirber] Imagine a scenario where Earth's core cooled down plunging our planet into an entirely different reality Without the electric dynamo of the molten outer core our protective magnetic shield would fade to zero This would pave the way for the relentless solar wind a stream of charged particles from the Sun much like what might have occurred on Mars in the distant past For Earth to have already cooled to this extent, it would need to be considerably smaller. The gravitational forces generated by a planet's compression and the friction it endures will naturally heat it up, keeping the core at its molten hot temperature. Additionally, the decay of radioactive elements within the mantle continues to contribute to this heat [Source: BBC] A smaller, cold Earth, however, would have lacked essential geological features like volcanoes and plate tectonics, which have played a crucial role in recycling carbon and minerals within the Earth's crust, while simultaneously adding vital gases to the atmosphere. Today, volcanic activity is our Earth's main cooling mechanism [Source: Carleton Newsroom] Without a thick atmosphere, the temperature of our Earth's surface would plummet, leading to the freezing of the planet's oceans. In such frigid conditions, the evolution of complex life, as we know it, would be highly improbable. This means that our Earth's core actually protects life on our planet [Source: BBC] Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: `;return t.byline_authors_html&&(e+=`By: ${t.byline_authors_html}`),t.byline_authors_html&&t.byline_date_html&&(e+=" | "),t.byline_date_html&&(e+=t.byline_date_html),e+=`\n\t\t\t\t A plane crash claimed the lives of three people flying with a Western Massachusetts flight school over the weekend and a student in a tragedy for the tight-knit program were all killed when their plane crashed into the side of a wooded mountain near the border of Greenfield and Leyden Ballard was the owner of the Fly Lugu flight school “Both Rika and Bill were very passionate about aviation and were key parts of our aviation community,” said Christopher Willenborg manager of the Westfield- Barnes Regional Airport He said the people at the small airport near the Vermont border were a “tight-knit group” who sent their condolences to the families of the three victims identifies Ballard as a second-generation pilot who founded of the company she started making solo flights from nearby Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport at age 16 She earned a flight instructor rating in 2019 which is when state records say she founded the company “Her goal is to engage the greater Westfield community with the wonderful world of aviation and help new aviators achieve their goal of being skybound,” the website says It said he taught hundreds of students how to fly airplanes “His desire to give back to the aviation community is what inspired him to become a certified instructor in every category and class of aircraft and as a result he has changed many lives for the better,” the site says A family member of Davidson declined to comment Fly Lugu did not respond to requests for comment The company’s website features a video that wraps up with the camera zooming out to show Ballard surrounded by her staff you’re part of” — she pauses and everyone joins in with a yell — “a big flying family.” a Beechcraft 55 Baron Twin-Piston owned by Fly Lugu departed from Westfield-Barnes just after 11 a.m Authorities received several 911 calls reporting a plane crash at 11:26 a.m which said it had received the signal from a plane’s emergency beacon Greenfield police Deputy Chief William Gordon said Sunday at the scene Police officers and firefighters raced to the area and deployed a Greenfield Fire Department drone to locate the crash site in about 4 minutes It took crews about 10 minutes riding two- and four-seater all-terrain vehicles to travel on narrow dirt roads and reach the plane which was found intact and in an upright position in the town near the border with Vermont Troopers confirmed the three victims were the plane’s only occupants State Police said Greenfield firefighters and American Medical Response paramedics declared them dead at the scene The office of the chief medical examiner will determine the cause and manner of the deaths State Police said inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the crash on Sunday The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating and expects to issue a preliminary report in the coming days Probable cause and contributing factors of the crash will not be released which will take 12 to 24 months a spokesperson said which happened hours before snow squalls moved through the area The 1974 plane was last inspected in September according to documents on the flight school’s website and says the business does maintenance on its planes every 50 flight hours Sean Cotter can be reached at sean.cotter@globe.com. Follow him @cotterreporter. Home Delivery Gift Subscriptions Log In Manage My Account Customer Service Delivery Issues Feedback News Tips Help & FAQs Staff List Advertise Newsletters View the ePaper Order Back Issues News in Education Search the Archives Privacy Policy Terms of Service Terms of Purchase Work at Boston Globe Media Internship Program Co-op Program Do Not Sell My Personal Information Ever wonder what might happen if a python ate a porcupine One of these giant snakes — which kill prey by suffocating it and then consuming it whole — recently dined on a porcupine and didn't live to brag about it where they quickly attracted the attention of locals who wanted to see the python themselves Lots of people came to the park in the following days just to view the swollen snake park rangers found the python dead near the bike trail They decided to cut it open and have a look inside What they found was one heck of a snack: a 30-lb It still isn't clear if this python's spiky meal was actually responsible for the predator's death Rangers found the snake underneath a rocky ledge the quills inside its engorged belly may have pierced the python's digestive tract Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox a python's jaw does not actually dislocate when the snake is eating The two lower jaws move independently of one another and the quadrate bone at the back of the head attaches the jaw loosely to the skull Elizabeth PetersonContributorElizabeth is a former Live Science associate editor and current director of audience development at the Chamber of Commerce She graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from George Washington University Elizabeth has traveled throughout the Americas studying political systems and indigenous cultures and teaching English to students of all ages 'An up-tempo version of Darwinian evolution': How a mega freeze in Florida may have caused Burmese pythons to evolve at a blindingly fast speed May's full 'Flower Moon' will be a micromoon Researchers have confirmed that a young adult leopard cat named Lulu has given birth to two cubs after recent images revealed their presence in Nantou County the Endemic Species Research Institute of the Council of Agriculture said on Wednesday which showed Lulu with the two young cubs in a mountainous area of Xinyi Township (信義) 12 by motion-activated cameras installed in the area by an institute research team responsible for the conservation of the species It was the first time the three leopard cats were filmed together since Lulu was electronically tagged and released into the wild in February 2019 in Xinyi one of the native leopard cats’ original habitats where the institute operates a rehabilitation center Footage showed Lulu walking along a path with one of the cubs while other images showed the adult leopard cat picking up another cub by the scruff of its neck — leading researchers to conclude that Lulu recently gave birth to the two cubs Lulu was first captured by researchers in December 2018 after the institute received a report from a chicken farmer in Lugu Township (鹿谷) that the leopard cat had killed poultry at his farm Lulu was released into her original habitat in Lugu two months later after veterinarians treated her for scratches and wounds after an incident in which she lost two toes The animal was captured again in 2020 after prowling around another farm with a young leopard cat researchers called “Bro Lugu,” believed to be her only cub at the time The two were released back into the wild in Xinyi in September last year after being trained to recognize the danger posed by the electric fences used by local farms Researchers lost track of Bro Lugu in March Native leopard cat populations are commonly clustered in Miaoli County with most living below altitudes of 1,000m A video of a short-lived brawl in Yunnan is making the rounds on social media and microblogging services causing a stir even though not much happened It was filmed in all its pixelated glory over the National Day holiday at Lugu Lake in the northwestern portion of the province The scuffle — video of which was published online by news website The Paper — broke out after local vendors repeatedly admonished a group of tourists for throwing garbage into the lake the two sides erupted into a short-lived skirmish in which at least one participant picked up a boat oar and began swinging at other people He — along with several other people with minor injuries — was taken to a nearby hospital where he has treated for a dislocated finger The police report ended by saying "The case is being investigated further". Mr Chen was throwing sunflower seeds into the lake, which may be an offense that goes unpunished, although it is possible his participation in the fight may land him on China's ever-growing travel blacklist While the event itself will no doubt soon be forgotten it briefly highlighted the ongoing evolution of Chinese public consciousness regarding garbage disposal and social responsibility Several comments left on QQ's streaming service — where the video has been viewed a somewhat astonishing 44 million times — called for a travel ban for Chen while others deemed him "low class" and "lacking morals" In a China where environmental consciousness has taken on patriotic importance it appears locals are willing to fight to keep what they have Whenever wherever I am trekking I never get lost since I simply follow the discarded trash I used to stop the fiendish culprits but they seem to consider national scenic areas as giant trash bins Often other Chinese hikers cheer me on as I shout at the miscreants using bad words and bad grammar To be fair sunflower seeds don't sound like the worst type of litter I love the way the four guys are just lying down at the end of the video suggest you go to a chinese wedding and see the mess of shells under the tables when people have finished multiply by number of coachloads of tourists and still disrepectful if people ask you to stop and you just flip them off plastic bags in landfill and floating round the ocean global warming etc eyc and you really want to see people beat up for chucking a few sunflower seeds around known to the local people as Motherlake holds special religious significance for the local community Any form of littering therefore is not acceptable however biodegradable that litter is Well I still think sunflower seeds are no big deal and neither is a sprained finger As for foreigners shouting at Chinese litterbugs .. Lugu lake has become a bit of a tourist trap and has attracted a fair number of idiots hoping to experience a walking (or perhaps walk-in) marriage Let's hope it's remote enough and high enough to avoid the fate of Lijiang Rich tourist arrogance is most likely the trigger. Put a peasant on a horse as my mum used to say On the other hand I've come across very intelligent sophisticated and liberal minded people whose hotels spew raw sewage into lakes Lugu lake suffers from this problem not sunflower seeds I wonder if The Paper would be so keen to report on it sewage in the lake stories are nice and now fuxian hu is outlawing swimming (a bit over the top but seems to be an effort to keep one lake in China clean) Tourists often act like a-holes away from home and relatively well-off hotel and business- owners who provide them with their tourist experiences are much to blame as well and the incident seems to demonstrate the very real growth of environmental consciousness in China over the past 15 years or so.. what should happen to my cultured hotel-owner acquaintances the beating will be about what was said in the aruguement @cloudtrapezer: For some reason I imagined it was the tourists who started it after being 'rightfully admonished' - anyway I'm not necessarily endorsing oar-swinging by anybody but it sounds to me like the tourists are the problem that needs to be worked on An example of tourists damaging what they came to see www.scmp.com/[...] Who are the local vendors' customers if not tourists I think most of us have come across customers we would rather do without. The idea of "firing your customers' has been around for at least 20 years now. www.customerexperienceinsight.com/[...] The days of 'the customer is always right'are long gone Look we all know what goes on in these tourist hotspots Locals who own land or buildings in good locations rent them to outsiders who open hotels restaurants and bars Other locals feed off the tourists as best they can Everyone gets a bit richer one way or another and the local government turns a blind eye to the environment being trashed until it can't be ignored any longer That's what happened around Erhai where wild hotel development over the last few years poured shit into the lake until the government closed them all down in a panic The hotel owners are now lobbying to reopen I am not really defending litter louts like the ones in this story but there are more serious problems than sunflower seeds Chinese media like to tell little moral tales like this one to encourage people to behave better on holiday but their targets are predictable and safe Tourism is an industry run on an absurd basis that produces contradictory demands in the promotion of profitable businesses dependent on catering to rather absurd (especially in the case of ethnic tourism) dreams of a relatively new tourist industry and I agree with what you say about the Chinese media The contradiction evident in this recent scarp between local vendors and The route this kid of development is taking is not likely to get less contradictory as the tourist industry become less 'new' - the best you'l get is a 'PC' attitude among those who benefit from it and still consider themselves above it all The WikiLeaks founder’s astonishing admission should prompt MPs finally to start asking questions 11 months into Donald Trump’s new world order Because that was the day that the dramatis personae of two separate Trump-Russia scandals smashed headlong into one another. A high-speed news car crash between Cambridge Analytica and WikiLeaks the two organisations that arguably had the most impact on 2016 coming together last week in one head-spinning scoop That day, we learned that Alexander Nix, the CEO of Cambridge Analytica, the controversial data firm that helped Trump to power, had contacted Julian Assange to ask him if he wanted “help” with WikiLeaks’s stash of stolen emails That’s the stash of stolen emails that had such a devastating impact on Hillary Clinton in the last months of the campaign which the head of the CIA describes as a “hostile intelligence service” directly together with the Trump campaign for which Cambridge Analytica worked This is an amazing plot twist for the company owned by US billionaire Robert Mercer which is already the subject of investigations by the House intelligence committee These are US scandals involving US politics and the news made the headlines in US bulletins across US networks That the ideological overlaps between WikiLeaks and Trump and Brexit were revealed to be not just lines And who appears like clockwork on British television without any word of this This is a power network that involves WikiLeaks and Farage, and Cambridge Analytica and Farage, and Robert Mercer and Farage. Steve Bannon, former vice president of Cambridge Analytica, and Farage It’s Nigel Farage and Brexit and Trump and Cambridge Analytica and WikiLeaks… and if the Senate intelligence committee and the House intelligence committee and the FBI are on to anything at all Try to follow this on a daily basis and it’s one long headspin: a spider’s web of relationships and networks of power and patronage and alliances that spans the Atlantic and embraces data firms It is about complicated corporate structures in obscure jurisdictions involving offshore funds funnelled through the black-box algorithms of the platform tech monopolists That it’s eye-wateringly complicated and geographically diffuse is not a coincidence The babble on Twitter is a convenient cloak of darkness Wigmore told me about this new US venture – an offshore-based political consultancy working on Steve Bannon-related projects – in a series of tweets Leave.EU has learned from its Trumpian friends that black is white and white is black and these half-facts are a convenient way of diffusing scandal and obscuring truth Rohrabacher met Don Trump’s Russian lawyer And is now trying to close the circle with Trump.) journalists are fighting the equivalent of a firestorm with a bottle of water and a wet hankie We need parliament to step up and start asking proper questions There may be innocent answers to all these questions This article was amended on 31 October 2017 to clarify that it was advertising from RT This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media I’ll give you a hand.” Joe thrusts out his arm Our cowboy is obviously in the throes of a crushing hangover struggled out of bed to take us to see a relative who he says is almost 100 years old But neither love nor money has been able to secure transportation “They’re checking licenses on the Sichuan side of the lake this month Requests to rent yaks or horses are met with flat refusals I determine that estimating distance is not Joe’s strong suit All four of us (we’ve been joined by Candy’s friend Laura) are exhausted and I mentally drench them in orange sauce We’re fading when a dump truck roars around a hairpin curve Another of Joe’s many cousins screeches to a halt You don’t go to a Mosuo home without presents and a ramshackle stall provides us with cigarettes A red dirt path snakes up a hillside between vegetable patches and narrow two timbered stories built around a U-shaped courtyard A jade bracelet gleams dully from her wrist She takes the sweets and the liquor but has trouble accepting the three aliens who’ve dropped into her home (Grandmother is almost deaf.) “They want to know your story.” Yong Mu lights the cigarette and begins to cry No strangers—let alone foreigners—have ever come to ask her about her life They kept me until the Communists came.” I ask about the Tusi a system of hereditary tribal chiefs established in the Yuan Dynasty who administered local government and reported to Beijing “I cared for their children and did housework I had to leave my baby in the forest all day An old man in a brown tweed jacket quietly seats himself near Yong Mu Nong Bu was ma bang—a nomadic cowboy who accompanied the caravans across the Himalayas “The Communists saved us,” continues Yong Mu “but the first years after the revolution were very hard We washed the shit off and boiled the corn Her gratitude to the Communists still blazes after more than 50 years We have a better life.” She gestures across the courtyard “A real house.” Nong Bu is almost 20 years her junior He took the walking out of “walking marriage” and moved in with her when he was about 50 but her azhu (“friend”)—the Mosuo have no word for “husband”—is here helping to pour a concrete floor for one of the rooms When she mentions carrying a baby with a heavy load as a Tusi slave “I thought you didn’t have babies until after the Communists.” and then Yong Mu fixes me with a pointed stare I get confused.” It’s time to put away my notebook What happened to this woman and to any babies before Nong Bu and the Communists is her own tragic story for the newest addition to the family must be toasted and his wife Erche gave birth less than a month ago to Zha Xi Picuo Dan Zhuo has brought his wife and child to live in Grandmother’s compound As I work my way through slices of preserved pig fat Although their lack of coyness draws the world’s attention to the Mosuo of childhood friends uprooted and destroyed because Mommy or Daddy decided to sleep with someone else is not so much a kingdom of women as a kingdom of family—albeit one blessedly free of politicians and preachers extolling “family values.” There’s no such thing as a “broken home,” no sociologists wringing their hands over “single mothers,” no economic devastation or shame and stigma when parents part I play with the soap opera-loving Sada at the guesthouse she’ll grow up cherished in a circle of male and female relatives The man who fathered her may well remain a presence in her life but his whims will not dictate her security And when she joins the dances and invites a boy into her flower room or whatever people call it when they are operating on hormones and heavy breathing She will not need that boy—or any other—to have a home They say: I bet he's just like the character There was no point in changing it for America - why do that And I bet he's exactly like that in real life When I meet Gervais he is editing the first episode of his new series He lets me sit down and watch it at his monitor can't quite decide whether to stay and see it with me - intrusive - or leave He decides eventually he shouldn't stay - it's not right - dithers If he was Brent I suppose he would be listening outside the door ready to burst in at crucial moments to spoil his best punch lines As it is he times his return to the last word of the last line when the door does fly open and he comes back in asking what I made of it and attempts to raise a window blind which crashes down on his head Then he mock staggers to the centre of the room wanting me to laugh with him - Brent to a T Gervais says a few times that he knows precisely where Ricky ends and David begins though he slips into fluent Wernham-Hogg throughout our conversation self-conscious monologue full of nods and winks It's a persona that has become part of him and he can do almost anything he likes with it now Gervais hasn't tried to stray too far from his life's work for Extras has a walk-on part in a film in which a guest celebrity stars and he has less of a blind spot about his own failings is no further removed from that of The Office than his physical geography a few miles up the M4 corridor from Slough It's that Footlights thing: everyone talking too loud When Gervais and Merchant were wondering how to follow The Office they had three other workable ideas for a series And my favourite themes are all there: men as boys The structure of the show is reminiscent of Larry Sanders and Gervais is happy to acknowledge the debt suggesting that Garry Shandling's creation also closely informed The Office some of the comedy in Extras will come from the real actors Andy Millman brushes up against - Ross Kemp in the first episode who sends himself up as a thesp with SAS daydreams; but the brilliance and subtlety and embarrassment all come from Gervais He and Merchant approached the guest actors first and then wrote around them I wonder if he has been scared about trying to follow the near perfection of his first creation He responds with one of his rhetorical monologues part Socratic dialogue (he didn't get his philosophy degree for nothing) 'And if I lose against The Office I've still won How do you beat six Baftas and two Golden Globes Could I have had more fun in the past two years It's funny listening to him going through all this for himself but also instructive about his preoccupations Gervais takes pressure off himself by never letting anything out of his control "Of course I could make a film like The Matrix" is also the day you hope a voice somewhere will still be saying what you are good at is very small-scale comedy There was a story that Gervais had a run-in with the BBC about when to show Extras The corporation had wanted to put it out in September on BBC1 and reportedly threatened not to write a proposed second series if he did not get his way I wonder why he was so reluctant to change channels 'The mainstream really scares me,' he says 'All my favourite things have started off as intimate It's not getting 10m viewers that's the problem; it's aiming for 10m viewers Or rather,' and he says this with a sudden vehemence 'it is things that are made to be populist that disappoint and disgust me By showing on BBC2 we have halved our audience already He seems to live in mortal fear of his career following the trajectory of He says he is not going to slag anyone off; or But no: 'Seeing my fat face more often than I have to does not excite me But knowing I already have The Office on my shelf There is not a single thing about it that I do not like This need for total control in someone so apparently generous and relaxed is the contradiction that Gervais continually explores; it is the only hope he has to make things he is proud of 'Why buy an Airfix kit and pay someone to build it?' In the past three years he's been asked to do every show he can think of on TV but he just doesn't want to pop up on telly 'I think you have a pile of goodwill if you have done something like The Office And that goodwill is used up not only if you do too many rubbish things 'seen the demise of three comedians I've liked in the past month I've just watched things and thought: you'll regret that.' I wonder if he envies his writing and directing partner Stephen Merchant the relative anonymity he has enjoyed since The Office that he finds being recognised in the street the whole time very creepy is that you never really know how things will go down but you are temperamentally compelled to find out He had a cold sweat when he got up at the Comedy Awards and made a joke about Stephen Hawking who had preceded him on stage and had painstakingly delivered a message through his voice machine to a suitably reverential audience 'When I came on I knew I was going to do it and I knew it might be a "Norman Lamont fisting" moment "He may be the world's cleverest man," I said "but I'd have had that ready in advance." There was total silence But I had to find out exactly what the boundaries were.' This knowledge of the precise cartography of comedy and embarrassment is Gervais's great gift 'But I don't necessarily believe in that Abigail's Party thing [that] someone having no grasp of art is embarrassing but a part of me thought: that's my family There's nothing wrong with being working class and aspiring to have a better life And it's sometimes too easy to take the piss without affection.' Ricky Gervais's father was a French-Canadian stationed here as a soldier during the war He met the comedian's mother during a blackout and they settled in Reading where he worked as a labourer while his wife was at home with the kids Gervais says he never felt trapped by his background always knew he would go to university and see the world though he has no idea why he had this confidence Maybe it was that when he was growing up he had all he needed 'The whole point of my family was taking the mickey out of the one sitting next to you Everything was fine as long as you never got the hump.' 'I did not realise I was working class until I got to university and everyone talked like Prince Charles,' he says 'Money had always been a bit tight at home But it never occurred to me.' When he had got there in his student New Romantic band Seona Dancing 'Every bloke in the country with a funny haircut has had a record deal at one time or another You only start really taking the mickey out of yourself when you hit 30 and become 13st While you are 22 and still have a 30in waist you can take yourself as seriously as you like.' he carried on with a full-time job as entertainments officer for the London students union I wonder if in that time he had a sense of failing particularly as Jane was already becoming a great success in the 'grown-up' world of television 'When I was working at ULU I never thought "This is shit" or "The money is bad." I thought: "This is quite a good job." I suppose if all this had not come along I might now have been a 43-year-old entertainments manager One of the things that Gervais was learning He comes across at times as a lifelong student of the theory of comedy using up all the cringe-making unfunniness - the obvious impressions and knee-jerk politics - he had witnessed in his 'years and years standing round a student bar hearing bad comedians getting rounds of applause If a comedian tells me that sometimes politicians are corrupt or dictators are bad I have no interest in telling people that George W is not all he might be For that reason my comedy targets tend to be He was always wanting to perform at the Comedy Store but he could never quite summon the bottle 'I could not bear to stand up there and be unfunny He only got around to doing stand-up after the success of The Office which guaranteed him a sympathetic audience Gervais moved from ULU to a job as head of speech at the alternative radio station Xfm Instead of worrying too much about being heads of speech Merchant was sometimes obliged to wheel his boss around the office in his executive chair 'I remember going out for a drink with Steve early on,' Gervais says I'll mess around." He said: "OK." And that was that.' Gervais's route to success was never conventional but you have to realise when it is your moment From there he was invited to fill a spot vacated by Ali G on Channel 4's otherwise dire The 11 o'Clock Show as part of his BBC producer's training course in which the David Brent character first appeared Through the eventual producer of The Office this got into the hands of the Head of BBC2 who sent Merchant and Gervais some money to work on scripts At this point Gervais finally decided to find out what he might be capable of but you can try to make as much difference as you possibly can so at the end of the day you can say you did the best you could with your life.' It was more a question of what a twat I would be if I did not at least try to make this work I did not want to be 55 and sitting in a pub and saying 20 years ago the BBC asked me to write a sitcom and on balance and because he has an absolutely clear sense of who he is a sense reinforced second by second in his little internal monologues even about living in the middle of London: 'Anything else would be leaving the party early as far as I am concerned I get a buzz when I go over Waterloo Bridge or whatever I'm not one of those who would say: "You know what I've never been to so and so." Saturday and Sunday Jane and I will go to two or three markets.' conveyed all the time in little smirks and laughs he and his partner have decided not to have children He used to say it was because he couldn't face the sleepless nights and so on but now he suggests that was just a line: 'It was a kind of shorthand The point I was making was that it was a conscious decision and we have not just forgotten.' I wonder a bit about whether this decision is related to his sense of control but he does not want to expand beyond agreeing that he has retained his own childhood's sense of fun and wonder almost intact 'I'm doing my sixth David Letterman show this year,' he says 'but it's the addresses in New York that are still a joy for me "Let's meet at 54th and Lexington" or whatever - I'm like a kid in a sweetshop.' He says he is happy with his half a dozen old friends and does not need any new ones (after he accepted his British comedy award he told any potential liggers: 'You don't know me so don't come up and congratulate me afterwards,' and more than half meant it) He seems to fear becoming blasé about this life he is in I've only done two things this year: my own show and writing an episode of The Simpsons But I suppose if there is one thing on your CV make sure it is that.' After he won his two Golden Globes Gervais was called in for an audience with Matt Groening and the 20 Simpsons writers - they all sat there quoting The Office to him And I said: "What are the hours?" And then they said: "Why don't you write an episode?" No one had done that before And then I walked out and panicked a bit.' The episode in which a Brent character tries to seduce Marge 'My ambition was always to get a joke on The Simpsons and here I am at the read-through sitting next to Homer.' His parents died just before The Office was written perhaps another reason for his suddenly wanting to see what he was capable of I wonder what he thought they would have made of it She'd tell the neighbours I was on and they'd say "Does he have to swear so much?" So something like that.' one that he won't accept is that it must always come out of a kind of darkness I ask him if there have been times in his life when he has felt down; has he ever not wanted to get out of bed in the mornings But I would never say: "What is the point of life?" I know there is no point to life Being out of my comfort zone annoys me a bit; you know if I have to drive a long way or something Fucking grow up." That always tends to work.' He giggles to himself at this admonishment A pit dug for construction that’s transformed into a freshwater lake Can a community-private partnership turn it into recreational site for business close to 20 cars have pulled by the road side just over a mile inwards from the Lugu junction along the Muara-Tutong highway splashing of water and the sight of a tranquil freshwater lake with a uniquely turquoise-like sheen By eyeball estimates it’s some 300 metres in length and has no official name or active supervising authority The aptest translation and the most widely used is Lugu lake it has gone from an obscure borrow pit to trending social media topic to one of the community’s most favoured recreation spots and home of the increasingly popular water sport – stand up paddleboarding (SUP) Construction for the cluster homes of the Lugu National Housing Scheme (RPN) began in 2014 with the earliest occupants moving in two to three years later RPN terrace housing in the area was already occupied several years prior according to village head of Lugu and Katimahar Salim Adi which makes the date of the Lugu lake’s formation somewhat unclear “What’s clear is that the lake wasn’t there before (prior to RPN construction),” said Salim They dug into the area and eventually it naturally filled up with water.” Excavating land for construction use is quite common for large-scale projects and the resulting borrow pits often develop into mini lakes You can see these in the vicinity of Brunei’s RPNs although the water is usually stagnant and murky “The Lugu lake is very unique in that sense,” said Salim who believes that there was a stream of water passing through the area before the area was dug into Residents began to use the lake after moving in – but it only received attention outside the Lugu community in early 2016 when a free-dive video by Ronin Lim (pictured below) the clip maps out the clear waters of the lake tree roots and the occasional sight of a small toman (snakehead fish) – allaying fears of larger freshwater creatures Pg Md Syahreen Pg Hj Metassan – simply known as Alin Kurapak to his some 22,000 followers on Instagram With one of Brunei’s fastest growing bloggers and social media personalities in Lugu’s backyard it was only a matter of time before the 37-year-old recorded scenic footage of the lake married with descriptions in his signature personalized “Right after I moved in I drove by to check out the area,” says the 37-year-old who jokes that he’s not much of a swimmer “Back then the grass was still tall around the area but the sight (of the lake) – it was really something.” comments from Bruneians poured in – some even in disbelief that the lake was in Brunei residents began to cut and clear the grass on their on initiative building a small wooden jetty and a stall with zinc roofing to sell drinks and food But what would end up consistently bringing in the most visitors from outside Lugu would be an engineer from New Zealand with a passion for standup paddleboarding (SUP) “I think we had our first lesson here in August,” says Stephen Officer “This (Lugu lake) isn’t anything like we’ve seen in Brunei It ought to be something we develop and preserve.” While there are competitive races abroad in SUP the activity is usually enjoyed as a physical yet calming way for traversing and exploring open waters “The Lugu lake is perfect for starting SUP,” says Stephen which is a bit different than going to the beach where you have to paddle beyond the initial waves before the water is calm The banks are now getting increasingly muddy with frequent use and parts of the jetty can be seen falling apart to seek out a way to develop the area into a recreational site that will preserve the area and open up opportunities for small businesses and the community to gain income “One of the main challenges is that we do not (currently) know which is the authority that we need to refer to (for approval),” admits Salim who is planning to approach a list of agencies including the Public Works Department Housing Development Department and Department of Environment “I believe that partnership between the village consultative council (MPK) of Lugu and the private sector would be the best way forward with lake is used for water sports and lifeguards for safety,” added Salim “This could open up opportunities for the residents to sell or be employed to take care and maintain the area Even without (proper development) it has already proven that it can draw visitors If you’re interested in standup paddleboarding visit www.sup-surfari.com or get in touch directly by contacting +6738713019. Nestled at the foot of the Tibetan plateau, Lake Lugu, also known as the "Kingdom of daughters", is home to 30,000 Mosuo people. On the shores of Lake Lugu, the ancient people of Mosuo developed a culture that is shockingly different from the rest of paternalistic China. Here women rule the roost and couples do not marry. Painted as a mysterious otherworldly paradise, tens of thousands of Chinese tourists flock to Lake Lugu every year for a glimpse of this small matrilineal society. Haimo Li travels to China to find out how many traditional values the Mosuo have held onto, despite the invasion of tourism and popular culture. What do the Mosuo themselves think about cultural preservation and getting their share of the 21st Century? Picture: Mosuo women in traditional dress, Credit: AP This World Stories documentary was first broadcast in 2007. A decade after farmers are lamenting the collapse of the Lugu dam and the irrigation scheme in the Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State Farming is no longer profitable and enjoyable like before we now invest a lot and harvest less,” the Chairman Fadama Farmers Association Wurno LGA Alhaji Garba stated that the area where the dam was functioning could produce two million sacks of onion and rice monthly we hardly cultivate even a quarter of the usual harvest as you can see our depot is empty.” many had high hopes over the rehabilitation of the dam and resuscitation of the scheme when the state governor Aminu Tambuwal led officials on an inspection visit to the area “We are working with the World Bank under the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project NEWMAP to fix the collapsed part of the dam at Gidan Modi Lugu and in general revive the Wurno Irrigation Scheme,” he had said the situation has remained the same as confirmed by the villagers when Daily Trust visited the area It was a tortous journey from Wurno town through Lugu to Gidan Modi The effect of that journey left a throbbing feeling but not as lingering as the situation of the farmers who are groaning under multiple problems occasioned by the lengthened breakdown of Lugu dam and the irrigation scheme which served as headquarters of the great Sokoto caliphate was notable for its agricultural production enriched by the Lugu dam People visited Wurno not only to see the tomb of the first Sultan of Sokoto Muhammadu Bello; they equally went there to purchase the famous Wurno Rice for consumption or commercial purposes the story is quite different since the collapse of Lugu dam in 2010 following a torrential rainfall that forced its discontinuity deplored the poor harvest caused by the collapse of the dam “The six million sacks that were produced annually have shrunk to 3000 bags of onion People no longer come to Wurno for our famous rice we have been hoping for something to be done on the dam “We once faced a similar situation 20 years ago but not as much as the present situation and it functioned again,” the farmer recalled said he now had to contend with 80 bags that is and after spending a lot much money on fuel the rice we produced sustained our families for another year after we have sold some but now even the one to feed our families is difficult,” he revealed “We need the government to hasten the renovation of the dam so that we can return to our normal life We are devastated considering the importance of the dam to our community and the magnitude of the loss,” he added Alhaji Garba explained that the more the water less application of pesticide and fertiliser “Even the government is losing a lot since people no longer come to Wurno from Ghana and other places to purchase garlic and onion,” he said.He showed our correspondent the empty structures called ‘consumers’ where onion was stored for customers to buy and transport to faraway places Many of our people have migrated for greener pastures since the dam stop functioning,” he added Alhaji Shehu Liman Gidan Modi said as farmers’ Association members they derived a lot of benefits from the scheme concerning rice and onion production “The collapse of the dam has brought everything to a standstill Both the scheme and the canals have dried out “We need the government to come and commence the maintenance project which was followed by a bizarre and loud noise that one could hear from a distance Please convey our message to the government on the need to revamp the dam and the scheme,” Shehu said Daily Trust reports that farmers are working across the expanse of land which was part of the dam where water used to accumulate against warning by the authorities to refrain from farming in the dam site “The effect of the dam collapse forced many of us to plant crops within the perimeter of the dam where the authority had said we should avoid for fear of losing our investment when the dam comes alive,” one of them admitted “But we rather risk the entire plantation than remain idle and wait for the commencement of the dam renovation which is yet to happen 10 years after World Bank would finance the physical rehabilitation of the dam while the state government will fund the compensations said there is the issue of compensation to some communities that relocated to areas where the dam exists after it dried up adding that there was also the issue bordering on experts’ consultation before the commencement of the exercise Project Coordinator for Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project NEWMAP in Sokoto Ibrahim Umar told Daily Trust that the work delay has to do with ‘’making sure that whatever we do on that dam would stand the test of time.” The World Bank does not like to be associated with anything that would fail there has to be a rigorous review of whatever aspect of the design undertaken It has to be in line with the best practices.” said the design for the rehabilitation exercise had reached advanced stage tasked with the responsibility of designing the rehabilitation of that dam have assured us that before the end of February they would complete the design and submit it to us.” He assured that as soon as the consultants submit the design they would forward it to World Bank for their review and subsequent approval UPDATE NEWS: Nigerians can now earn US Dollars through domain flipping buy domain names for cheap and have it resold to earn up to $15,000 Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You Periodically a movie is selected for a screening called the "royal command performance" after which Elizabeth II or a designated relative will touch hands with the stars a senior TV executive annually compiles a bag of programmes to be sent to the Windsors for their holiday viewing a cinema-television co-production that technically qualifies for both honours can reliably be expected to be given neither The Queen - directed by Stephen Frears from a script by Peter Morgan with Helen Mirren's Elizabeth II cheered by audiences at the Venice film festival - dramatises the lowest moment of Royal popularity since the abdication crisis when the monarch was perceived to have shown insufficient public grief for her son's ex-wife The reaction of some critics and audiences will be that The Queen while an entertaining piece of speculation is the kind of thing that ought to be on television where the previous Frears-Morgan collaboration - The Deal a Channel 4 drama about the Blair-Brown feud - was seen TV cash in the budget means that it will be seen fairly rapidly on ITV1 But the release of The Queen in the cinema is more than a simple distribution decision: it completes a revolution in the national attitude to royal drama The BBC Programmes Policy Guide for Writers and Producers warned on page 8 against "the use in a fictional setting of a character identifiable with a living person" and advises that "all impersonations need the permission of the people being impersonated and producers must reassure themselves that this has been given before allowing any broadcast" The booklet specifically outlaws impressions of Sir Winston Churchill or other "leading political figures" but makes no specific prohibition against playing the king or queen This omission is not as surprising as it may seem: broadcasters of this period knew that mocking a monarch would lead to the end of their careers and though theoretically more commercial and daring there was such concern about even the depiction of such a distant ancestor of the serving monarch that the scripts were reportedly submitted to the palace for approval - which was given to such an extent that sequences were filmed at Sandringham and Windsor That co-operation seems to have given the drama departments courage and Thames was screening a drama about the royal family's black sheep Edward and Mrs Simpson was rumoured to have upset both the Queen and the Queen Mother who reputedly refused to allow her brother-in-law's abdication-causing yankee mistress to be mentioned in her presence The Duchess of Windsor herself took legal action from her Paris exile to prevent the series being shown in France If even televising the Windsor relatives caused such fuss who tended to be up for a knighthood when they retired or were sacked were unlikely to start dramatising the current firm Fictional representations of them were restricted to gently comic appearances by queen-lookalike Jeanette Charles on The Mike Yarwood Show Television in America - which had a long tradition of fictionalising its heads of state assassinated or impeached - ignored British protocols Within a year of the 1981 marriage known at the time as the "wedding of the century" there had been two network movies of the week: The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana British Equity dependables such as Margaret Tyzack and Charles Gray portrayed senior royals an absolute understanding - on which some of the actors were said to have insisted - that these dramas would never be screened in the UK As the scripts romantically attributed greatness and grandeur to the royals this ban makes clear that British TV was not afraid merely of offensive representation: any depiction at all was considered lese-majesty the first substantial dramatisation of Elizabeth II came not from television with the character identified as HMQ in the script of Alan Bennett's A Question of Attribution his 1988 play for the National Theatre in which the monarch converses with her art adviser the board of the National was so opposed to allowing Prunella Scales to pretend to be the Queen that Richard Eyre revealed in his diaries that he had to threaten to resign in order to get the play staged because HMQ is depicted throughout as witty and wise a leftish playwright's dream of what a constitutional monarch might be when A Question of Attribution was filmed for television there was again discussion at BBC board level but Spitting Image had included the Windsors in its rubber repertory company - intererestingly gentle with the Queen but targeting the alleged heavy drinking of Princess Margaret and the Queen Mum - and Rory Bremner frequently played both the Queen and Diana The distinction between satire and drama was unlikely to hold for long before the truth about the wedding of the century was admitted in 1992 American television was reversing its previous fairytale with Charles and Diana: Unhappily Ever After it was fact that freed the way for fiction Diana and Charles flapped their marital dirty linen at Martin Bashir and Jonathan Dimbleby respectively were regarded as inviting the political risk of dramatisation The loss of royal authority after Diana's death scripts once filmable only in America entered British TV peak-time including Channel 4's irreverent Princess Margaret and ITV1's Whatever Love Means a dramatisation of the Diana-Charles-Camilla triangle in which the lookalikes were as speculative as the dialogue even those dramas were wary of showing Elizabeth II using the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Anne as surrogates for her assumed views So the fact that The Queen - the first ever critical depiction of the monarch in mainstream British drama - is receiving a cinema release has represented Britain in the Venice Film Festival and will be screened next year on ITV1 rather than a minority network beamed from abroad is above all measure of the remarkable extent to which the monarch has lost any special protection in British visual culture given that this freedom to dramatise the palace results from a breakdown of traditional British hierarchies the decision to make Morgan's and Frears' film for the big screen also represents snobbery writers and actors have always felt a glow from opening in an Odeon rather than going out on a Wednesday at nine not least because an Oscar far outranks a Bafta in mantlepiece impact as the increasing number of TV channels spread on to an ever multiplying number of platforms with programmes available online and even mobile phones a snobbish preference for cinema's festivals red-carpet premieres and lengthy solus reviews increases and the celluloid honouring of The Queen represents a similar desire to queen it over the flow of nightly But cinema may also be the right place for The Queen because it finally has more in common with Hollywood than the peak-time schedules This distinction has positive and negative aspects the quality of acting (especially from Mirren and Michael Sheen as Blair) dialogue and camerawork place it far beyond such opportunistic soaps as Charles and Diana: Happily Ever After and Whatever Love Means it has a far looser relationship with reality than The Deal This is simply because Westminster is a leakier place and filled with more people willing to brief screenwriters off the record The Queen essentially reflects Blair and Campbell's account to friends of how they got the Windsors sorted during Diana week and so a drama that depicts the prime minister at the peak of his political efficiency is being released at the weakest moment of his premiership while the Sedgefield and Downing Street scenes belong recognisably to the television tradition of faction the royal sequences are more clearly a celluloid fiction Morgan has neatly vacuumed up monarchist gossip - such as the suggestion that Prince Phillip's nickname for the Queen may be "cabbage" - but the film can never offer more than an elegant guess about what the emotions and conversation of Diana's former mother-in-law really were it is fitting that the film should premiere in a genre with a long tradition of glossy biopics which only loosely reproduce the subject's life and which are routinely preceded by a legal disclaimer that no resemblance to any actual person or events is intended Dr Ahmed Aliyu said the plans are underway for the restoration of 19 million cubic meters of water in Lugu Dam to boost agriculture Governor Aliyu made this known at the Stakeholders forum organized by the State Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project in collaboration with the ministries of Environment He also disclosed plans to rehabilitate 1,300 hectares of irrigable land in Wurno Local Government Area to benefit thousands of farmers He said the Sokoto state government had contributed N1 billion in counterpart funds for ACReSAL Project to Curb Desert Encroachment the state government’s investment in environment and water resources management has brought about some desired changes in the state “Our past collaborations have impacted positively on target beneficiaries and irrigation to boost agricultural production especially in the rural areas He stated that the aim of the ACReSAL project is to combat environmental degradation increase food security and create job opportunities for the teeming youth in the state The Governor noted that as part of the government’s commitment over 800 men and women including the youth have been mobilized and trained on Grievance Redress Mechanism and Business Management for the Community Interest Group (CIGs) He further explained that over 3,000 people have been mobilized and sensitized about the project stressing that there is an on-going establishment of 40km Shelter-belt in Wurno LGA to build defenses against wind there-by forming breaks for farmlands and homesteads in nine communities of Wurno “We also established a 500Ha Forest Enrichment Plantation in Wurno LGA designed to improve the vegetation cover and alleviate sheet and rill erosion that threatens the fertile Fadama land in Wurno catchment This work will ensure that the irrigation activities in Wurno and surrounding areas continue unhindered” He maintained that the state has also established 7000Ha Agro Forestry with Moringa Oleifara trees This activity is aimed at improving the food security of beneficiary communities comprising of over 40,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries moringa being a tree with high medicinal value in addition to food value is therefore a high value tree crop that farmers elsewhere can easily replicate this also assures sustainability of this type of intervention Aliyu called on the World Bank to consider easing the procurement processes saying this will encourage them to partner with more agencies for development of the state He thanked the World Bank and Federal Government for including Sokoto State in the project Practice Manager of World Bank for Environment Natural Resources and Blue Economy-West Africa said World Bank is concerned about the effect of climate change in Nigeria She added that the project is meant for nineteen northern states including the Federal Capital Territory Abuja and it has a time frame of six years She sought the cooperation of states and federal government for full implementation of the project the National Project Coordinator of ACReSAL Mr Abdulhamid Umar thanked Sokoto State government for living up to expectation by paying its Counterpart Fund He said that ACReSAL will collaborate with relevant MDAs for policy implementation He lauded World Bank for partnering with ACReSAL in combating environmental degradation and helping in boosting agricultural production in Northern Nigeria.The ACReSAL team visited Wurno Shelter belt at Achida and Lugu dam in Wurno local government area of the state and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" The AUTHORITY NEWSPAPERS is published BY AUTHORITY MEDIA & PUBLICATIONS LIMITED with headquarters in Abuja - FCT Our vision is to be the best newspaper in Nigeria and one of the best in Africa; operating as a viable business and serving the best interests of the citizens as the watchdog of the nation and defender of Nigeria's nascent DEMOCRACY Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and Latvian Foreign Minister Krišjānis Kariņš announced the winner of the Latvian and Estonian Language Promotion Award at the REaD bookshop in Tallinn on Friday Hea Lugu Publishers won the award for publishing the anthology of Latvian poetry titled "The Ball of Introverts" "By publishing the anthology of Latvian poetry Hea Lugu has brought us an entire new generation of Latvian poets who would have remained undiscovered by Estonian readers," Tsahkna said at the presentation ceremony "The publisher has made a unique contribution to the cultural relations of our nations." The foreign minister noted that culturally Latvia can be considered the closest neighbor of Estonia substance and color to the relations between our people "Yet we speak different languages," Tsahkna noted "To prevent language from becoming a barrier that separates us it is a joy to present the Latvian and Estonian Language Promotion Award for the 14th time inspiring to boost Estonian culture in Latvia and Latvian culture in Estonia." The anthology of poetry contains works by 18 Latvian poets chosen and translated by Contra and Mikk Grīns "The previous collection of Latvian poetry in Estonian was published in 1997 The Ball of Introverts fills an important gap," Tsahkna said but its roots date back to 1994 and the launch of Maalehe Raamat Hea Lugu is known for high-quality science fiction and non-fiction children's literature and practical handbooks The aim of the award is to enhance knowledge of the Latvian and Estonian languages and to recognize the achievements of Latvian and Estonian translators teachers and managers of language learning projects in the promotion of the Latvian and Estonian languages The monetary value of the award is €3,000 and the Award Fund receives equal contributions from the ministries of foreign affairs of Latvia and Estonia The jury of the prize includes representatives from the foreign ministries of both countries as well as language and literature experts.  The award was issued for the fourteenth time this year Previous winners are Maima Grīnberga (2009 Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update! 0)" class="article-poll-disclaimer" ng-bind="totalVotes + ' hääletajat'"> {{option.votes}} {{selectedLanguage.poll.votes}}/ Iga kasutaja võib hääletada {{poll.optionLimit}} vastusevariandi poolt Home / Somali News / World News Ruushka ayaa sheegay in ay soo rideen diyaarad aan duuliye lahayn oo ku sii jeeday magaalada… Ruushka ayaa sheegay in ay soo rideen diyaarad aan duuliye lahayn oo ku sii jeeday magaalada Moscow markii saddexaad oo weerar noocan oo kale ah lagu qaado toddobaad gudihiis halka saraakiil ka kala tirsan labada dal ee Ruushka iyo Ukraine ay xaqiijiyeen in Ukraine ay bartilmaameedsatay laba buundooyin oo isku xira Crimea iyo dhul weynaha Ruushka Labada dal ayaa midba midka kale kor u qaaday duqeymaha uu ku hayo ciidamada iyadoo Ukraine ay doonayso inay ka saarto ciidamada Ruushka ee dhufeyska uga jira koonfurta iyo bariga Ukraine tan iyo markii ay dalkaasi galeen sannadkii hore Maamulka Crimea ee Ruushka ayaa sheegay in buundada Chonhar ee jasiiradda Sidoo kale mid kamid ah saddexda waddo ee isku xidha Crimea iyo deegaanada Ruushka heysto ee koonfurta Ukraine